MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Head coach
Avi Kigel was a little rushed as he headed off to Passover dinner.
It's a busy time this weekend, what with the Easter holiday and, in Kigel's case, a big Saturday match at Buccaneer Tennis Center. But hey, busy times require the best. And to be the best, you've got to beat the best.
That starts 11 a.m. Saturday when Barry's No. 4-ranked women's tennis team hosts No. 15 Florida Southern in a key Sunshine State Conference regular season match. The match will air on
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Live Scoring.
It is the first of two final SSC home matches that begins a big stretch, which includes a trip to No. 7 Lynn Tuesday. The Bucs, who have won three of the last four SSC regular season titles, need wins in their next three league matches to make it four out of five.
"I hope so," Kigel said, contemplating the possibilities, while keeping grounded about the tests that await.
Barry has been the toast of the SSC for quite a while in women's tennis. To claim that honor again, the Buccaneers (17-0, 7-0 SSC) need to first take care of business against the Moccasins (11-5, 4-2) to begin this four-match, nine day stretch that features the other top two league teams and the SSC home finale against Palm Beach Atlantic on Thursday.
Florida Southern has two ranked singles players and two doubles combinations -- both featuring the same player -- who own a national ranking. The Mocs, coming off a 7-2 win at PBA Friday, have won four of their past five. The only blemish during that stretch was a 5-4 setback to No. 11 Academy of Art, whom the Bucs beat, 8-1, a day ago.
The Moccasins are 37-11 in pairs play. They own a 63-33 combined record in singles. Natalija Popovic is 11-5 in singles, which a 5-1 record at the No. 3 spot. Avery Hunter is 7-0, with a record at the No. 6 position. Forty six-ranked Sasha Nionova is 4-2 at No. 1 singles. No. 68-ranked Lorena Rionda is 7-6, which includes a 5-3 log at the No. 1 spot in the lineup. She is 2-3 at No. 2.
Selin Devrimci and Nionova are 5-2 at No. 1 doubles, and own the No. 12 national ranking. Rionda and Devrimci are ranked 30th nationally on the heels of their 3-1 record at the No. 1 position.
Barry is 48-2 in doubles play and 78-9 in singles.
Sonja Larsen and
Verena Schmid are ranked 14th in the country in pairs play, and own a 16-0 overall, 7-0 SSC record, including seven wins at the No. 1 position. They are 8-0 at No. 2.
Carolin Schmidt and
Zuza Maciejewska are 13-0, with 5-0 marks at both Nos. 2 and 3, and own the No. 35 national ranking.
Larsen is ranked No. 2 in the country, and has a 15-0 record in singles. She is 5-0 at No. 1 and 6-0 at No. 2. Schmid is the nation's 69th-ranked singles player who has a 12-0 record, including a 7-0 mark at No. 3.
Julie Razafindranaly is 14-0, with eight of those wins at No. 5. Schmidt is 12-0 with a 7-0 record at No. 4. Maciejewska is 8-0 with three wins at both the Nos. 3 and 4 spots.
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