INDIAN WELLS, Calif. – The OUAZ men's tennis team will play for a championship at the GSAC Tournament ton Thursday after knocking off Hope International 5-4 in an exciting dual in the semifinals at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
 
The third-seeded Spirit (11-6) needed a rally in singles play to pull off the upset of No. 2-seed Hope International. They trailed 2-1 after doubles with only Austin Todd and Jordan Petrie winning the No. 3 match 8-4.
 
Things got worse for the Spirit as the Royals then won the first two completed matches of singles play – No. 4 and No. 1 – to open a 4-1 lead and put them within one point of clinching the dual.
 
Leonardo Couto got OUAZ on the board in singles with a 6-1, 6-2 win in the No. 3 match, and then Andres Reyes secured a 6-2, 6-2 win in the No. 2 dual to get the Spirit within 4-3.
 
OUAZ evened the match when Dong Hyun Kim won the No. 6 match 7-5, 6-2 right as the No. 5 match was headed to a third set that would end up deciding the match for the two teams.
 
Todd had won the first set 6-4 before falling in the second 5-7. With all eyes on their third and deciding set, Todd was able to secure the break he needed for the 6-4 win and a trip to the championship dual on Thursday for the Spirit.
 
The Spirit will play for the GSAC title in their first year as members of the conference. They will face top-seeded and 12th-ranked Arizona Christian on Thursday at 9 a.m. OUAZ is the only team to defeat ACU this season.