ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – The No. 5 University of South Carolina Aiken men's tennis team lost a hard-fought match to No. No. 15 (No. 4 seed) Hawaii Hilo Wednesday in the Elite Eight by a score of 4-0.

The Pacers conclude their outstanding season with a 19-4 ledger.

Head coach Steve Dahm's team played every match extremely close. In doubles action, top-seeded Salvador Bandeira and Antonio Sabugueiro lost a 6-3 decision. Third-seeded Alvaro Garcia Gil and Alex Sklizovic knotted the doubles action at 1-1 by claiming a 6-4 victory. However, Hawaii Hilo won the point by taking a 7-5 win at No. 2 doubles over the tandem of Vicente Andrades and Tales Silva.

Sklizovic fell by a 6-1, 6-0 count at No. 6 singles, giving the designated home team a 2-0 lead. After Silva dropped the first frame 6-1, but bounced back to force extra points in the second stanza before falling 7-5. Hawaii Hilo took the match by winning at No. 5 7-5, 6-4 over Garcia Gil.

The remaining three matches went unfinished, but Andrades was up 0-6, 6-3, 5-2 in the third set. Sabugueiro and his foe just started the third frame while Bandeira, who lost the first set, was virtually even in the second stanza.

The 19 victories for USC Aiken this season tied for the most under Dahm. The squad finished the 2009 campaign with a 19-5 ledger.