SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Barry University's No. 1-ranked men's tennis team bounced back from a 2-1 deficit after doubles to sink the Concordia (N.Y.) Clippers 5-2 at the NCAA Championships in Surprise, Arizona on Thursday.
Though they trailed 2-1, the Bucs' singles lineup was more than up to the task, taking four matches, but leading in all six.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Barry 5, Concordia (N.Y.) 2
Records: Barry (24-2), Concordia (N.Y.) (17-5)
DOUBLES:
- Henry Masters and Michele Fenoaltea got the Clippers off on the right foot, winning 8-1 over Barry's Vivien Versier and Carlos Gomez at No. 3.
- Montrieul and Bayldon evened the match with an 8-3 win at No. 2 over William Nilsson and Axel Oljons.
- But the swing match came down to No. 1 where 32nd-ranked Eymeric Chevalier and Alessandro Evangelisti toughed out an 8-5 win over Fernando Tous and Filip Zupancic.
SINGLES:
- Forty-seventh ranked Daniel Ventura got the Bucs even with a 6-0, 6-0 shutout of Tomer Mendler at No. 4.
- Bayldon put the Bucs in front 3-2 by beating Oljons 6-2, 6-1 at No. 5.
- Fifty-second ranked Versier made short work of Nilsson at No. 3, winning 6-3, 6-0.
- Montrieul, ranked eighth, polished off #74 Chevalier 6-2 6-0 at No. 1 to clinch the match.
- Barry was up a set at both No. 2 and No. 6 as well.
NOTEWORTHY:
- The Bucs advance to the national semifinals.
- The Bucs will play Indianpolis in the semifinals. The last time the Bucs met the Greyhounds was Mar. 18, 2017 at Buccaneer Tennis Center. The Bucs won 7-2. Montrieul and Carlos Gomez are the only two players, for either team, that return for this match.
- The Greyhounds beat Washburn, who had upset third-seeded Lander, 5-1 in the quarterfinals.
- Ventura tied Versier with his 18th singles win this spring and ran his win streak to a team-best eight in a row.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING:
"Another good day today, now heading to the semifinals. We have a 5-2 win over Concordia. We started out a little bit slow in the doubles at No. 3 and at No. 1. But Pierre (Montrieul) and Blake (Bayldon) really played well. We'll be playing UIndy tomorrow. I don't know really too much about them. But it was a good match the last time we played them (Mar. 18, 2017 - 7-2 win) and they're playing very well in this tournament. So it's going to be a battle."
-- Barry head coach George Samuel
ON THE HORIZON:
Barry will play 12th-ranked Indianapolis, in the NCAA Semifinals at 12:00 pm Eastern on Friday, May. 11.
BOX SCORE
