Pepperdine, 25-5, advances to the quarterfinal round on Sunday and will face top-ranked Georgia, 26-3, beginning at 2 p.m. (PDT). The Bulldogs are the defending NCAA team champions.

It marks the Waves' first appearance in the quarterfinal round since 1998.

Acuna watched from the sidelines last weekend as Pepperdine defeated Richmond and Minnesota at the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center in Malibu to advance to the third round. He was pulled from the Waves' line-up after telling the coaching staff he was "burned out."

Obviously, the burn out was short-lived, as Acuna not only found himself back in the Pepperdine line-up, but the center of attention as the Rebels and Waves were locked in a 3-3 tie.

"Diego came up big when it mattered," said Pepperdine head coach Peter Smith. "It was a terrific dual match. Both teams battled hard and it all came down to a tie-breaker to decide which team was going to advance to the quarterfinals. The match was a great showcase for college tennis."

Pepperdine gained the early momentum by winning the doubles point.

The senior tandem of Sebastien Graeff and Stefan Suter defeated Mississippi's Alex Hartman and Claes Lindholm at No. 2 doubles by a final score of 8-5.

At the No. 1 doubles slot, freshman Johan Berg and senior Al Garland disposed of the Rebels' team of Selin and Kristofer Stahlberg by a convincing 8-1 count.

Mississippi rebounded strongly in singles, winning the first three matches that were decided to build a seemingly insurmountable 3-1 lead.

Catalin Gard trounced Pepperdine sophomore Calle Hansen by scores of 6-0, 6-3 at No. 3 singles, and the Rebels' Lindholm recorded a straight sets 6-1, 6-4 win over Graeff at No. 6.

In a mild surprise, Hartman downed Garland, ranked No. 3 nationally, by scores of 7-6, 6-1 at No. 1 singles to push Mississippi's lead to a 3-1 margin.

With the momentum of the match favoring Mississippi, Pepperdine mounted one final rally which subsequently ended with a dramatic win for the Waves.

Berg pulled Pepperdine within a 3-2 count when he defeated Paul Ciorascu by scores of 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. Suter then topped Stahlberg by a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 count to even the match at 3-3.

Selin held a 5-2 lead over Acuna in the third and deciding set, but the first-year player from Peru forced a tie-breaker and then prevailed by a 7-4 margin to send Pepperdine into the quarterfinal round.

"This match was a real gut-check, and I was pleased with how our team responded to the pressure," said Smith. "Acuna, Berg and Suter maintained their focus and got the job done. Now we have to set our sights on figuring out a way to beat Georgia."