NEW ORLEANS, La. |  Gokalp Ayar propelled the Jackson State men's tennis team to the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championship after claiming victory in a three-set thriller to secure a 4-3 win against the Alabama A&M Bulldogs. 

Ayar took the first set of the final match on court six in a 7-5 decision. His opponent, Agustin Marquez, bounced back to win the second set with another 7-5 score. Ayar won the final set 6-3 to finish off the Bulldogs.

Jhoan Vaquero and Maas Schotanus won their singles matches as well. Vaquero secured his win in a 6-1, 6-1 decision on court five. Schotanus' match went into three sets after he lost the first 1-6. The 2025 SWAC Freshman of the Year rallied back claiming the next two sets 6-2, 6-4 to give the Tigers their third point.  

Ching Chang Chiu, Schotanus, Vaquero, and Ayar also earned the team their first point after winning doubles 2-0. Chiu and Schotanus won their match 6-1, while Vaquero and Ayar won 6-3. 

Up Next 
The Tigers will face Alabama State for the SWAC Championship on Sunday, April 20, at 2 p.m. 

Follow Jackson State Athletics
For complete coverage of Jackson State athletics, follow the Tigers on social media at @GoJSUTigers (Instagram and Twitter), Jackson State Tigers (Facebook), or visit the official home of Jackson State athletics at GoJSUTigers.com.