ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. -- No. 3 Columbus State brought a lot of noise and put a little heat on No. 2 Barry, but the Buccaneers unleashed the heavy hitters with their backs against the wall. In the end, Barry's men's tennis team punched its ticket to the NCAA Division II Championship match with a 5-2 win over the Cougars in the semifinals Thursday at Sanlando Park.
Barry overcame a 2-1 doubles deficit by winning four straight singles matches to turn away a game Columbus State team.
"We just fought as usual, and we tried to give our best, and today it went well," Bucs newcomer Vivien Versier said. "We are one, and it's perfect. They were loud, but we tried to stay focused and stay in our goal."
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Barry 5, Columbus State 2
Records: Barry 26-1, Columbus State 24-4
SUMMARY:
- After the Bucs dropped the Nos. 3 and 2 doubles matches, second-ranked Ahmed Triki and Pierre Montrieul finished off 22nd-ranked KP Pannu and Maciej Kierkus, 8-4, at the top position to salvage a pairs point.
- Barry's Fabian Pronnet overcame some trouble with his racquet to put together a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Jorge Vargas at No. 5 singles. That pulled the Bucs even with the Cougars, 2-2.
- Twenty sixth-ranked Montrieul gave the Buccaneers the lead when he carved up a 6-2, 6-3 win over Zach Whaanga at the No. 2 position.
- Versier moved the Bucs within a point of clinching when he defeated Shao-Yu Yu, 6-0, 6-3, at No. 6 singles.
- Triki, the third-ranked player in the nation, trailed 4-1 in the third set, but rallied to win five straight games in a 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 victory over 32nd-ranked Pannu to send the Bucs on to the finals.
- No. 47 Nico Dreer led Matei Avram, 6-4, 3-6, 5-2, at No. 4 singles when Triki secured the victory.
- No. 13 Carlos Gomez split the first two sets with Paul Sprengelmeijer, winning 6-1 and losing 6-4 before dropping the first game of the third set of another unfinished match at the No. 3 position.
NOTEWORTHY:
- Barry will make its ninth NCAA Championship match appearance.
- The Buccaneers won their first national title in 2010 at Sanlando Park.
- Barry fell to West Florida, 5-4, in a regular season match in Savannah, Georgia, on March 12.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING:
"We practiced all year for (the national championship match). Let's go Bucs."
-- Sophomore Vivien Versier
ON THE HORIZON:
Barry will play No. 1 West Florida 1 p.m. Friday in the NCAA Championship at Sanlando Park.
BOX SCORE
NCAA TOURNAMENT BRACKET
