What you need to know

* The Panthers earned a 4-3 victory over No. 47 South Alabama to win a Sun Belt title and an automatic NCAA Tournament bid.
* The team is 19-6 on the season, with Jannis Koeke coming back from a 5-2 deficit in the third set to clinch the match.
* GSU will find out where they are headed on May 2 on the NCAA Selection Show.

NEW ORLEANS- The No. 37 Georgia State men's tennis team defeated No. 47 South Alabama in a thrilling 4-3 victory Sunday afternoon, earning the team a Sun Belt Conference title and an NCAA Tournament bid. Senior Jannis Koeke came back from a 5-2 deficit in the third set and clinched the match, his second of the season.

With the win, the Panthers improved to 19-6 while the Jaguars fell to 23-6.

GSU started off slow, dropping the doubles point in the top two matches. Andrei Andrukhou and Zackery Kennedy fell 6-3, before USA clinched the point with a 6-2 victory over Sebastian Acuna and Jack MacFarlane.

The team quickly gained momentum, as Acuna defeated Lucas Gonzalez 6-3, 6-2 in the No. 5 match. The Panthers went up 2-1 as Felipe Jaworski earned a 6-2, 5-7 victory over Pierre Noyon. The Jaguars tied the match up as Quentin Coulaud fell 6-2, 6-4 in the No. 4 match.

South Alabama pulled ahead 3-2 as Kennedy fell in a tough 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 loss in the No. 1 match. GSU pulled even with USA in the No. 3 match, as Andrukhou earned a huge 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 victory over Juan Cruz Soria. Koeke clinched the match for the Panthers, defeating Olivier Gingras 6-2, 5-7, 7-5.

"I'm so proud of our team and the resilience we showed today,” head coach Brett Ross said. “Hats off to South Alabama, they have had a great season and pushed us to the limit. It was definitely one of the most emotional and dramatic matches I've been a part of. I'm really happy for Jannis to clinch a Sun Belt title for us. He's been a great leader at GSU for four years and really deserved this.”

Georgia State earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in May with the win, the first for the Panthers since 2013. The Panthers will find out where they are headed when the bracket is announced by the NCAA on May 2.

 Final Results

Singles:
1. #104 Jacobs, Tuki (USA) def. #84 Kennedy,Zackery (GSU) 2-6, 7-6 (7-1), 6-3
2. Andrukhou,Andrei (GSU) def. Soria, Juan Cruz (USA) 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (12-10)
3. Koeke,Jannis (GSU) def. Gingras, Olivier (USA) 6-2, 5-7, 7-5
4. Cloes, Loic (USA) def. Coulaud,Quentin (GSU) 6-2, 6-4
5. Acuna,Sebastian (GSU) def. Gonzalez, Lucas (USA) 6-3, 6-2
6. Jaworski,Felipe (GSU) def. Noyon, Pierre (USA) 6-2, 7-5

Doubles:
1. Cloes, Loic/Soria, Juan Cruz (USA) def. Andrukhou,Andrei/Kennedy,Zackery (GSU) 6-3
2. Gonzalez, Lucas/Jacobs, Tuki (USA) def. Acuna,Sebastian/MacFarlane,Jack (GSU) 6-2
3. Gingras, Olivier/Noyon, Pierre (USA) def. Coulaud,Quentin/Jaworski,Felipe (GSU) 5-4