AASU Continues Earning Savannah Recognition

I know it's been a while since our last post, but I wanted to pass along a few more honors for the AASU tennis teams that have taken place over the last couple of weeks.

Head coach Simon Earnshaw and men's players Robert Jendelund and Paul Bishop were guests of AASU University President Dr. Thomas Jones at the Downtown chapter of the Savannah Rotary Club on Monday. Coach Earnshaw addressed the luncheon crowd about the two national championships.

Thursday, coaches Earnshaw and David Secker, along with men's player Davor Zink and women's player Gabriella Kovacs were recognized at City Hall as a part of the Savannah City Council meeting, which was broadcast live on local television. Athletic Director Dr. Eddie Aenchbacher introduced the teams and presented the Mayor with a National Championship t-shirt.

Finally, WTOC TV vice president Bill Cathcart presented an editorial on his station about the teams that has been in heavy rotation over the last week or so. You can view the editorial here from the WTOC TV web site.

Pirate Pride On Display Tuesday

Tuesday morning, the Pirates made three stops - complete with the National Championship trophies - as the Savannah community continues to welcome home the Armstrong Atlantic State tennis teams.

Senior Iuliia Stupak, junior Paul Bishop, head coach Simon Earnshaw and assistant coach David Secker were guests on Savannah's First News with Ray Steele on 630 AM WBMQ. From there, the quartet went to the sets of Mid-Morning Live with Sonny Dixon and Jody Chapin at WTOC TV 11, Savannah's local CBS affiliate. They were preceded by former AASU VP Joe Buck, who is now the School Board President for Chatham County. You can view the interview from WTOC TV's web site.

Just past noon, the members of the team still in Savannah (a few of the players had early flights to return home for the summer - remember, final exams at AASU were back in the first week of May, so school has been out for as much as two weeks for many students here) were invited to join the Southside Rotary Club for lunch and a much deserved congratulations from some of the most well-respected pillars of the community in the Coastal Empire area.

And finally some celebration links to share with you - up first, Josh Centor of the NCAA, who runs the doubleazone blog posted about the championship celebrations at the NCAA DII Spring Sports Festival, including a video capturing the celebrations of all six champions who were crowned on the week. View the post here, including watching the women's team and men's team celebrate together after the Pirate men clinch their match, and watch head coach Simon Earnshaw get dunked.. with a little direction from assistant coach David Secker.

Second, links of video that I shot of the final points encoded thanks to Compass Interactive. You can view the women's here and the men's here.

Triumphant Pirates Return To Savannah

The AASU men's and women's tennis teams returned triumphantly to a jubilant crowd at the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport on Sunday afternoon, celebrating the teams' two NCAA Division II National Championship trophies.

WTOC-TV 11 was on hand to welcome home the teams along with the crowd, which numbered in excess of 100 friends, family and members of the Armstrong Atlantic State and Savannah community.

All week long in Houston, reporter Dale Robertson of the Chronicle talked to head coach Simon Earnshaw and some of the Pirate players about the face of DII tennis and its international flavor. His story appeared in today's edition of the Houston Chronicle along with photos.

Tuesday, coach Earnshaw and a few players will make local media appearances in Savannah, first on Savannah's First News with Ray Steele at www.wbmq.com at 8:00 a.m., then on WTOC-TV 11's Mid-Morning Live at 9:30 a.m.

DII Sports Festival Concludes - Pirates Bask In Championship Glory

The second-ever DII Spring Sports Festival concluded on Saturday night with the closing ceremonies at Discovery Green in downtown Houston. Food, games and a live band entertained participants from all six sports competed throughout the five day event.




The men's and women's teams were awarded (again!) their championship trophies and head coach Simon Earnshaw was asked to address the crowd after each team came up on stage. There have been only three DII Sports Festivals so far (2004 in Orlando, 2006 in Pensacola (fall sports) and 2008 in Houston) and AASU is the first school to win two National Championships in the same festival.

After the presentations, a spectacular fireworks display thrilled the crowd.




Sunday is travel day for the Pirates as they depart Houston at Noon, make a connection in Atlanta and return to Savannah at 6:57 p.m.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! AASU Men's Tennis National Champions After 5-0 Win Over Barry

The Armstrong Atlantic men's tennis team has done it! A first-ever NCAA Divison II National Championship !

Both teams will participate in the closing ceremonies tonight. We'll be back with more pictures and more stuff, but here is the release.

Undefeated all-season long, top-ranked for the last three months - the Armstrong Atlantic State men's tennis team is the 2008 NCAA Division II Champion for now and forever.

The Pirates clinched the first men's tennis national championship in school history with a 5-0 victory over No. 5-ranked Barry at the Memorial Park Tennis Center in Houston, Texas, on Saturday afternoon.

The win also gives Armstrong Atlantic State a rare double, winning the men's and women's tennis crowns in the same season for the first time since BYU-Hawaii accomplished the feat in 2003. The AASU women won the school's fourth NCAA DII tennis title with a 5-2 win over Lynn earlier in the day.

AASU (31-0) started quickly in the match by picking up two doubles wins. The 18th-ranked duo of Christian Bergh and Robert Jendelund notched an 8-3 win at No. 2 doubles over Emmanuel Fraitzl and Jakub Fejfar. The sixth-ranked duo of Rafael Array and Tim Johannsen also won, 8-3, at No. 1 doubles over the fifth-ranked duo of Patrick Rittenauer and Ales Svigelj. The Pirates led at No. 3 doubles, 7-5, but Barry fought off two break points before rain began to fall, halting play.

After a 42-minute delay, Barry's duo of Andrew Sharnov and Roman Werschel pushed the game to 7-6, but Paul Bishop and Davor Zink closed out on Bishop's serve with an 8-6 victory, giving the Pirates a commanding 3-0 lead.

Singles started with both teams taking three first sets. The Pirates enjoyed advantages at No. 1, No. 5 and No. 6 singles, with the Bucs taking leads at No. 2, No. 5 and No. 6 singles. Freshman Tim Johannsen, ranked sixth in singles, completed a 6-2, 6-3 win over 15th-ranked Patrick Rittenauer at No. 1 singles. Barely three minutes later, 50th-ranked sophomore Christian Bergh clinched the victory with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Roman Werschel at No. 5 singles.

The first meeting between the two teams was a tight affair, at Barry with Armstrong Atlantic eeking out a 5-4 victory. AASU's men's tennis title came in its first appearance in the championship match, and is also the Pirates' first-ever NCAA Championship in a men's sport.

AASU Now Leads Barry In Doubles.... 3 to 0

The Armstrong Atlantic State men's tennis team captured two doubles points against Barry, and had an opportunity for the third point, but Paul Bishop and Davor Zink could not convert two break points at 7-5, 15-40 against Andrew Sharnov and Roman Werschel at No. 3 doubles. Once the match got to deuce, rains started to fall and play was suspended for 42 minutes. When play resumed, Barry held serve, but Bishop came up with an ace on match point to give the Pirates the 3-0 lead.

At No. 1 doubles, the duo of Patrick Johannsen and Rafael Array defeated Patrick Rittenauer and Ales Svigelj, 8-3, while Christian Bergh and Robert Jendelund defeated Emmanuel Fraitzl and Jakub Fejfar, 8-3, at No. 2 doubles in the other two doubles matches.

AASU is now two points away from its first-ever NCAA Men's Tennis Championship!

AASU WOMEN WIN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP !

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS! More later, but here's the release. Now it's the men's turn!

NCAA Women's Tennis National Championship Match: No. 2 AASU 5, No. 3 Lynn 2

HOUSTON, Texas - A pivotal tiebreak point at No. 1 doubles provided the momentum to carry the Armstrong Atlantic State women's tennis team to their fourth NCAA Division II National Championship with Saturday's 5-2 victory over Lynn University at the Memorial Park Tennis Center in Houston, Texas.

With two doubles wins already in hand, the third-ranked duo of Iuliia Stupak and Gabriella Kovacs played an hour and 30 minutes at No. 1 doubles against the fourth-ranked duo of Victoria Weltz and Alexandra Schunk. The duo had three match points at 8-7, but Lynn's duo held serve, forcing a tiebreaker. On the fifth match point, Stupak blasted a cross-court overhand smash for a winner, giving AASU the 8-6 tiebreak win, a 9-7 match win and a commanding 3-0 lead after doubles.

AASU jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in doubles with Johanna Dahlback and Alisa Kagukina's 8-1 win over Alisson Siaci and Eleonora Ionozzi at No. 3 doubles, then the 10th-ranked duo of Martina Beckmann and Alida Muller-Wehlau picked up an 8-6 win over the 17th-ranked duo of Magdalena Ekert and Katerina Jiskrova.

Singles play started quickly in favor of the Pirates with first-set wins at No. 1 singles with Stupak, No. 3 singles with Muller-Wehlau and No. 4 singles with Kovacs. Lynn (27-3) battled back to take two first sets at No. 5 singles with Ekert and No. 6 singles with Ionozzi. Lynn picked up their first singles point as Ekert finished a 6-3, 6-3 win over Beckmann. Second-ranked Stupak picked up the fourth point for the Lady Pirates (32-1) with a 6-0, 6-1 win over 18th-ranked Weltz at No. 1 singles. Lynn recorded its second point with Ionozzi's 6-3, 6-1 win over Kagukina.

Two Lady Pirates had Championship Point at the same time as Muller-Wehlau and Kovacs each had a chance to give the Lady Pirates the title. The freshman Muller-Wehlau watched a forehand by Jiskrova go wide, giving Armstrong Atlantic State the title with a 6-2, 6-1 victory.

Armstrong Atlantic State's title joins the three other Championship trophies won in 1995, 1996 and 2005, and the Lady Pirates were making their ninth appearance in the NCAA Championship match. The title is the second for head coach Simon Earnshaw as well as senior Johanna Dahlback - who had the clinching point in AASU's 5-3 win over BYU-Hawaii in the 2005 match as a freshman.