Portions of this story courtesy of unoprivateers.com

THIBODAUX, La. – The New Orleans Privateers completed a dream run as they won the Southland Conference tournament championship after they defeated the 2-seed NJIT Highlanders 4-1. The Privateers, entering as the 5-seed, defeated the regular season champions (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) and the defending tournament champions (NJIT) in the last two days.

The Privateers lost the doubles point for the first time this week, but they shrugged that off and came back razor sharp in singles.
 
"We took the right steps today," said Coach Burzis Kanga. "This was a total team effort. It wasn't one of us, but it was all of us. These guys did a great job representing this university at the highest level and I couldn't be prouder. We worked so hard and these guys took advantage of every opportunity.
 
It started with Sep de Visser who broke late in the first set against Soma Fukuhara. He carried that momentum to an early three-game lead after a service break in the second set of a 6-4, 6-3 win.
 
Then came Matthew Armbruster as the senior delivered another performance in the tournament for the ages. He persevered through a first set tiebreak against Nejc Skorjanc and carried that momentum to more solid serving and an early service break in the second set of a 7-6 (3), 6-3 win to move the Privateers ahead 2-1.
 
Marc Mail delivered a gutsy performance at flight one as he outlasted 2024 Southland Tournament MVP, Pablo Perez Ramos in a first set tiebreak. Mail missed a chance to serve for the match, but he broke Ramos in his next service game to seal a 7-6 (4), 6-4 victory.
 
Julian Franzmann and David Tesic were neck-and-neck as far as who was going to be the deciding point. It turned out to be the freshman, Franzmann who finished the match and sealed a second trip to the NCAA Tournament for the Privateers.
 
Franzmann rebounded from being broken while up 5-2 in the third set as he broke the serve of Os Callo Von Platen to rally from a set down. The Southland Freshman of the Year won 5-7, 6-2, 6-3.
 
Tesic was on the brink of finishing his match as he was up 5-4 in the third set. Joseph Townes was also up 6-5 in the third set of his match on court six.
 
Townes and Jay Temming engineered a 6-0 win, but NJIT took the doubles point after a 6-2 win on court one and a 6-3 win on court three, but ultimately it was the Privateers' performance in many crucial moments in long sets that vaulted them to their first postseason championship since 2022.