Box Score SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Freshman Sahil Deshmukh clinched the 4-0 victory against USC Upstate as the North Florida men's tennis team won its first-ever Atlantic Sun Championship on Sunday afternoon at the USC Upstate Tennis Complex.

"We are excited to be to get this championship under our belt and now play with freedom towards the NCAA Championship," said head coach Mark Finnegan. "More importantly, this means so much to the program because over the last five years we have had so many great teams, but unfortunately not be at full health for the championship. This year we were closest we could be to full heatlh and we saved our best and we finished well.

Deshmukh earned All-Tournament team honors, while sophomore Lasse Muscheites joined him and earned Most Valuable Player of the Tournament after clinching the semifinal match against Kennesaw State and securing a doubles victory.

"I think it is an amazing achievement from the guys. We focused on what we call a real team all semester long and we've had our ups and downs with being a real team," said added Finnegan. "Today we did a great job and this weekend with being a real team and ultimately, real teams win championships."

The Ospreys started things off on the right foot with a doubles point thanks to the No. 2 and No. 3 pairs. Muscheites and junior Zach Goldberg shut down Jamie Yates and Rajanvir Dharni, 6-2 in the No. 2 position. The Spartans then got a point at the No. 1 spot, leaving it a must-win situation at the No. 3 match.

Deshmukh and senior Julian Bradley led the opening part of the match before the Spartans snuck back in to tie it at 5-all. Bradley and Deshmukh then buckled down and get the next two games to win, 7-5 and grab the doubles point.

In singles action, Jonathan Deautriell grabbed the first point with a 6-2, 6-3 win at the No. 6 position to make it 2-0 for the Ospreys. Shortly after, Yannick Zuern clinched his singles match, 6-3, 6-3.

"There are too many people to thank, but Nick Morrow is a great supervisor and Randy Jenks has just done so much for UNF tennis with the Jacksonville community," said Finnegan. "To all of the alumni, this one is for them because without them and the foundation laid at UNF, this championship would not be possible."

Deshmukh went back and forth in his final set, but clinched the win after making it 4-all and securing two straight games for the win. Deshmukh went up early with a, 6-1 victory inn the first set, but Ignacio Garrido battled back for a 6-2 win in the No. 5 spot. 

The championship is the first for UNF during the Division I era. UNF now earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. The Ospreys will learn their opponent on Tuesday, May 3. Stay tuned to UNFOspreys.com for more information. 

UNF 4, USC Upstate 0
1. SIMONETTI, Ramon (UPST) vs. #109 Jack Findel-Hawkins (UNF) 6-3, 4-6, 1-0, unfinished
2. ARORA, Ankush (UPST) vs. Lasse Muscheites (UNF) 4-6, 5-6, unfinished
3. Yannick Zuern (UNF) def. YATES, Jamie (UPST) 6-3, 6-3
4. HAUPT, Lenhard (UPST) vs. Julian Bradley (UNF) 6-4, 5-4, unfinished
5. Sahil Deshmukh (UNF) def. GARRIDO, Ignacio (UPST) 6-1, 2-6, 6-4
6. Jonathan Deautriell (UNF) def. DHARNI, Rajanvir (UPST) 6-2, 6-3

Doubles competition
1. SIMONETTI, Ramon/ARORA, Ankush (UPST) def. #24 Jack Findel-Hawkins/Yannick Zuern (UNF) 6-4
2. Lasse Muscheites/Zach Goldberg (UNF) def. YATES, Jamie/DHARNI, Rajanvir (UPST) 6-2
3. Julian Bradley/Sahil Deshmukh (UNF) def. GARRIDO, Ignacio/BENNION, Matt (UPST) 7-5