DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle men's tennis team continued to make program history on Tuesday as the Eagles downed Lynn to advance to the NCAA II National Championship final round for the first time. The fifth-ranked Eagles defeated the ninth-ranked Fighting Knights 4-0 to secure a spot in the 16-team championships finals at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs, Florida, May 18-22. 
 
"What great focus today!" ERAU Head Coach Dave Paschal said following Tuesday's win. "We competed so hard on every court. To get the doubles point was huge. Lynn has been so good in doubles all year so getting that point gave us huge momentum going into singles. 
 
"It's a great accomplishment for our guys qualifying for our first NCAA II national championships. We're looking forward to going there and competing well." 
 
The Eagles notched wins on courts one and three to go up 1-0 after doubles. The first win came at the top spot where 23rd-ranked Juan Ortiz Couder and Andres Donayre rallied to upend fifth-ranked Ignacio Martinez and Will Kirman 6-4. 
 
The duo of Alexis Guedy and Michele Iftimie jumped out to a 4-1 lead at No. 3 doubles. After Lynn closed the gap to 4-3, the ERAU duo held on consecutive service games to win 6-4 and clinch the doubles point. 
 
In the first meeting of the season between ERAU and Lynn, Diego Gonzalez got the better of a three-setter against Ortiz Couder, but the ERAU top-flight player avenged that loss with a straight-set victory at the Sunshine State Conference tournament. In Tuesday's match, sixth-ranked Ortiz Couder dominated 55th-ranked Gonazlez from the first serve and notched the Eagles' first singles point with a decisive 6-0, 6-1 win. 
 
Four of the five remaining singles matches featured first-set wins for the Eagles. Iftimie was the first to capitalize on that advantage as he downed Ignacio Martinez 6-4, 6-2 at the third spot to put the Eagles up 3-0. 
 
Lukas Schneider got a 6-2 first set win at No. 5, but the wins did not come as easily for Alvaro Diaz Rodrigo and Fernando Alonso playing at the fourth and fifth positions, respectively. Trailing 4-2, Diaz Rodrigo rallied to win his first set against Gianmarco Amatiste 7-5. Diaz Rodrigo finished his first set within minutes of Alonso who erased a 5-1 deficit to top Nicolas Cabrera 7-5 as well.  
 
Both Diaz Rodrigo and Alonso took command of their second frames, and in the end it was Diaz Rodrigo who finished first, besting Amatiste 6-3 to clinch the Eagle victory. 
 
Seeding, match-ups and match times for the final 16 teams will be announced by the NCAA later this week.