MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The top-ranked Embry-Riddle men's tennis team began defense of its Sun Conference title with an 8-1 win against St. Thomas on the road on Saturday. Saturday's match was the Eagles' first of the season, and they now stand at 1-0 overall and 1-0 in league play.

The Eagles took an early 2-0 lead following doubles play beginning with the top-ranked tandem of Deni Zmak and Simon Felix's 8-1 defeat of Juan Bravo and Grover Ordonez at the top spot. Playing in their first singles match together, Patrick Besch and Jaime Sanchez Canameres Rios downed Nicolas Etienne and Joshua Rosner to extend the Eagle advantage. The Bobcats earned their only point of the match at the No. 3 doubles spot when Arturo Romero and Matias Dasso held off Miguel Lopez Gomez and Luke de Caires 9-8 (7-4) to make the score 2-1 in favor of ERAU.

The Eagles were perfect in singles play, including top-ranked Zmak's 6-1, 6-1 defeat of Etienne at the top spot and Rios' three-set (4-6, 6-4, 10-5) victory over Bravo at No. 2. Playing in his first regular season match since 2012, Besch clinched the Eagle victory on court four with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Romero. Felix topped Ordonez 6-2, 6-2 at No. 3, Lopez Gomez downed Rosner 6-3, 6-2 at No. 5, and de Caires bested Dasso 7-5, 6-2 to complete the singles sweep.

The Eagles will face one of their toughest challenges of the year when they take on NCAA II No. 1 Barry on Sunday at the Buccaneers' home courts. Like the Eagles, the Buccaneers also won a national title in 2013. Sunday's match is slated for 10 a.m.