Sept. 22, 2007

ATHENS, Ga. - After making it to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals a year ago, the USC Upstate men's tennis team is now making waves in Division I in just their second DI tournament, as three Spartans advanced to the singles' bracket round of 32 at the 40th annual Southern Intercollegiates at the University of Georgia's Dan Magill Tennis Complex on Friday afternoon.

Junior Sandy Franz (Duesseldorf, Germany/Berufskolleg Hilden) posted a three-set win against Florida's Nestor Briceno, 3-6, 6-0, 6-4, to reach the Division I singles round of 32. Briceno was ranked 91st in the preseason Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings. He will face Wake Forest's Steve Forman.

Sophomore Javier Tori (Lima, Peru/Markham College) advanced to the round of 32 in the Division I bracket of singles play, defeating South Carolina's Ivan Cressoni, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. He faces the No. 8-seed from Duke, Kiril Dimitrov, who is ranked 57th in the preseason ITA rankings, in the next round.

Sophomore Renzo Airaldi (Lima, Peru/Domingo Faustino Sarmiento) breezed through his two matches on Friday afternoon to reach the round of 32 in the Division II singles bracket. He won his first round match, 6-0, 6-2, over Georgia State's Augusto Alvarado before winning in the second round against Samford's Oliver Reynolds, 7-6 (3), 6-0, to advance to Saturday's play, where he faces Middle Tennessee State's John Peers at 11 a.m.

Junior Arnaldo Lovera (Caracas, Venezuela) fell in his opening round match in the Division II bracket, 6-4, 6-1 to Samford's Kelwin Dewet. Sophomore Jack Roux (Santiago, Chile/Subercaseaux) fell in his opening-round match, as well, 6-4, 6-1 to Florida's Dan Cash.

The Spartans will open doubles play on Saturday with Airaldi and Franz and Roux and Tori teaming up. The Southern Intercollegiates continue on Saturday at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex at the University of Georgia.