Men's Tennis | 5/17/2021 10:55:00 AM
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Barry University Buccaneers are the number two seed in the 2021 NCAA Division II Men's Tennis Finals as they look to recapture the national title they won in 2019.
The Bucs (10-0) face off against the Bearcats of Northwest Missouri State (16-4) on Tuesday, May 18 at the Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex at 5:00 pm Eastern time in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
| Match |
Date, Time |
Live Stats |
Video |
| vs Northwest Missouri State |
Tuesday, May 18 | 5:00 pm Eastern |
Live Stats |
Video Stream* |
* not all matches have live video. Matches receiving a stream are TBD.
The Bucs have not lost this season and have seven wins over ranked opponents, including five against the top 10. They are led by senior Alessandro Giuliato, currently the #1-ranked singles player in the division. Barry won the most recent national championship in 2019, defeating Columbus State 4-3 in Altamonte Springs, Fla. The 2020 championship was canceled due to the pandemic.
The Bearcats have six wins against ranked opponents, although none higher than 17th. Northwest lost their only top-10 matchup 4-3 to #7 Drury on Mar. 5. They also lost to #20 Washburn on the road on Apr. 24. Their other losses came against Cameron (4-3 on Mar. 19) and Southern Arkansas (4-0 on Apr. 11). The Bearcats are led by freshman Andrea Zamurri, currently ranked #3 in the division.
Both Giuliato and Zamurri are coming off their first losses of the season and hope to bounce back in Surprise. Barry, overall, has a 78.8 singles winning percentage this spring, while Northwest is 76.9. In doubles, the Bucs are 68.0 percent, while the bearcats are 59.6.
The Bucs and Bearcats have met only once before, with Barry coming out on top 5-1 on May 9, 2017 in the round of 16 at the nationals at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs, Fla. None of the players from that match are still active. Barry went on to reach the national final that season.
The Bearcats-Buccaneers winner will take on the winner of No. 3 Indianapolis vs. No. 6 Bluefield State on Wednesday, May 19 at 5:00 pm (Eastern).
