MOBILE, Ala. -- The Embry-Riddle men's tennis team will be playing for a national title on Saturday morning. The second-seeded Eagles (21-3) advanced to the title match of the 2015 NAIA Men's Tennis National Championship with a hard-fought 5-0 victory over No. 3 Vanguard, Friday at the Mobile Tennis Center. After coming through doubles unscathed, the Eagles battled hard for the two singles points they needed to clinch, as three of the six singles matches went to three sets.

The national championship finale will feature the last two NAIA national champions and will be a rematch between the Eagles and top-seeded Georgia Gwinnett. Last season, the Grizzlies got the better of the match-up to win their first national title. The Eagles will be playing in their fourth national title match and will be looking for another national title after winning the championship 2013.

Fabian Zierleyn and Carlos Becke grabbed the first point of the day for the Blue and Gold. Playing at No. 2 doubles, the ERAU duo downed Fabio Silva and Michael Rjazanov 8-5. Over on court one, fourth-ranked Deni Zmak and Jaime Sanchez-Canamares Rios jumped out to a 5-2 lead on the way to their 8-3 defeat of Stefan Kilchhofer and Roger Muri.

At No. 3 doubles, Miguel Lopez Gomez and Rodolfo Arreygue also took a 5-2 lead, but the Vanguard pair of Filip Burnac and Daymon Johnson came back to within a point, 7-6. With Arreygue serving, the Eagle duo rattled off four unanswered points to take an 8-6 win and give the Eagles a 3-0 lead heading into singles.

Becke was efficient in his straight-set victory at No. 4 singles. In a match that last just over an hour, Becke blanked Rjazanov in just 28 minutes in the first set and recorded the Eagles' fourth point with a 6-3, victory in the second.

It appeared that the clinching point would come from court six as Arreygue won the first set and had double match point in the second, however his opponent, Burnac won the next three games, including the tie-breaker to force a third set. Over on court two, Sanchez-Canamares also went up a set, 6-4, but had to play an extra frame when Silva took the second, 6-2. Playing at the fifth position, Luke de Caires was edged 7-6 (5) in the first set, but rebounded to take the second 6-3 and force a decisive third set of his own.

De Caires was the first to take a third-set lead and went up 5-2, but it was Sanchez-Canamares who registered the clinching point after breezing by Silva 6-0 in the final frame.

Saturday's championship is slated to begin at 9 a.m. (CDT).

#2 Embry-Riddle 5, #3 Vanguard 0

 Singles competition
1. Deni Zmak (ERAUMT14) vs. Stefan Kilchhofer (VU) 6-7 (8-10), 4-4, unfinished
2. Jaime Sanchez-Canama (ERAUMT14) def. Fabio Silva (VU) 6-4, 2-6, 6-0
3. Fabian Zierleyn (ERAUMT14) vs. Roger Muri (VU) 5-7, 5-4, unfinished
4. Carlos Becke (ERAUMT14) def. Michael Rjazanov (VU) 6-0, 6-3
5. Luke de Caires (ERAUMT14) vs. Daymon Johnson (VU) 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 5-2, unfinished
6. Rodolfo Arreygue (ERAUMT14) vs. Filip Burnac (VU) 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 3-1, unfinished

 Doubles competition
1. Deni Zmak/Jaime Sanchez-Canama (ERAUMT14) def. Stefan Kilchhofer/Roger Muri (VU) 8-3
2. Fabian Zierleyn/Carlos Becke (ERAUMT14) def. Fabio Silva/Michael Rjazanov (VU) 8-5
3. Rodolfo Arreygue/Miguel Lopez Gomez (ERAUMT14) def. Daymon Johnson/Filip Burnac (VU) 8-6

Match Notes:
Vanguard 25-2; National ranking #3
Embry-Riddle 21-3; National ranking #2
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (4,2)
NAIA National Semifinals
Sanchez-Canamares clinched at No. 2 singles.