AVE MARIA, Fla. - Wrapping up their week in Florida, the Franciscan men's tennis team took on Ave Maria University on the courts of the IMG Tennis Academy at 4 p.m. on Friday. After a few hours of well-fought tennis,  Franciscan ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard, dropping the match 8-1.

Playing at No. 1 doubles, senior captain Jarek Sulak and sophomore Jake Haffner lost a difficult match 8-5 after making a late comeback. Sulak's dominant net play and Haffner's solid serving performance kept the match close down the stretch, but the No. 1 pairing was unable to overcome the steady play of their Ave Maria counterparts.

Seniors John Gallagher and Connor Jooste represented Franciscan at No. 2 doubles, losing 8-2 in a match much tighter than the score indicates. Competitive games and rallies were present throughout the match, a product of strong groundstrokes and smart point development by Jooste and Gallagher. Unfortunately, several critical points fell to Ave Maria, leaving the Barons with a loss.

The first start for the doubles pairing of freshman Aidan Howard and sophomore Walter Matt did not go as hoped, as the No. 3 team was defeated 8-0. Four tight games each reached deuce, before Ave took each one. Matt and Howard performed well from the baseline, but were unable to put all the pieces together, struggling to control the net throughout the match.

Haffner struggled to find a rhythm at No. 1 singles, dropping the match 6-1, 6-2 to stiff competition. Inconsistency in all facets of his game allowed for his opponent to jump out to big leads early in both sets.

No. 2 singles saw Sulak lose a well-played match 7-5, 6-1. Sulak looked strong on the court, but the long week of matches took its toll, as fatigue started to affect him down the stretch.

Jooste lost 6-1, 6-0 at No. 4, finding it difficult to implement his strategy against a tough opponent.

Conrad's No. 5 match came down to the wire, resulting in a tight 7-5, 7-5 loss. Facing an opponent with a monstrous forehand, Conrad quickly adapted his strategy to target his opponent's weaker backhand and net game. A few errant shots at crucial points at the end of both sets decided the match, but the match provided a glimpse of Conrad's capabilities and potential, which bodes well for the squad's future.

Matt dropped a contested No. 6 match 6-3, 6-3, highlighting the depth of the team Franciscan fielded.

The final match of the night was Gallagher's match at No. 3. After two grueling sets and a match tiebreak, it was the last Baron standing that came out with the lone win of the day. Gallagher won 4-6, 7-5, 11-9, overcoming the pummeling groundstrokes of his opponent with consistency and grit. Gallagher's match put on full display the irreplaceable heart and passion he plays with, and allowed the whole team to leave the last match of spring break with a smile on their faces.

Also of note are the players who competed in exhibition matches against Ave Maria. While the team lost 8-1 on the day, the combination of freshmen Giorgio Alexander, Luke Conrad, Christian Cappello, Stephen Bolster, Aidan Howard, and Joseph Seuss went 3-3, together witnessing to the depth of the current roster and foreshadowing future success. (Seuss won 8-2, Cappello won 8-6, and Alexander won 8-4).

After the match we reached out to amateur meteorologist Stephen Bolster who said, "It was a lot colder once the sun went down."

The Barons will fly back to Steubenville Saturday night, and then prepare themselves for their upcoming match at Mount Union on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.