BRADENTON, Fla. -- The top-ranked Barry Buccaneers sunk the second-ranked Nova Southeastern Sharks with a 4-2 win in the championship match of the 2022 Sunshine State Conference women's tennis tournament at the IMG Tennis Center on Sunday.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: No. 1 Barry 4, No. 2 Nova Southeastern 0
Records: Barry 23-0, Nova Southeastern 20-3

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING:

"It was a great battle, which was expected for the championship fo the conference: #1 versus #2 in the country. I'm just very proud of our players. It wasn't our best tennis, but we found a way to win. So, I'm very proud of the way we competed. Now, we just look forward to the NCAA Tournament and try to win the big one again." -- Barry head coach Avi Kigel

SUMMARY:

Doubles

1. #4 Deniz Khazan/Madeline Bosnjak (BARRY-W) vs #3 Natalie Espinal/Chantal Nosievici (NSU) 5-3 unfinished
2. Jil Engelmann/Helene Scholsen (BARRY-W) def. Julie Razafindranaly/Diane Follin-Arbelet (NSU) 6-3
3. #2 Kim Moosbacher/Daniela Farfan (BARRY-W) def Karolina Snita/Nika Kozar (NSU)6-1

Singles

1. #1 Deniz Khazan (BARRY) def. #6 Julie Razafindranaly (NSU) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4
2. #2 Natalie Espinal (NSU) def. #25 Jil Engelmann (BARRY) 6-4, 7-5
3. #35 Xiyao Wang (BARRY) vs #49 Karolina Snita (NSU) 6-7, 6-1, 3-4 unfinished
4. Madeline Bosnjak (BARRY) def. Diane Follin-Arbelet (NSU) 6-3, 6-1
5. Daniela Farfan (BARRY-W) def. Chantal Nosievici (NSU) 6-0, 6-4
6. #22 Nika Kozar (NSU) def. #36 Kim Moosbacher (BARRY) 6-2, 6-0

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Barry's Moosbacher and Farfan, the second-ranked duo in D-II, made short work of Kozar and Snita 6-1 at number three doubles. 
• Englemann and Scholsen clinched the doubles point for the Bucs with a 6-3 win over former Buccaneer Razafindranaly and Follin-Arbelet at number two.
• At number one, Barry's 4^th-ranked pair of Khazan and Bosnjak led 5-3 over the Sharks' Espinal and Nosievici, who came into the match ranked third in the ITA, before the match went unfinihsed.
• In singles, the Bucs won three quick first sets in the six flights.
• Bosnjak picked up a point quickly for the Bucs, beating Follin Arbelet 6-3, 6-1 at number four.
• Farfan put the Bucs a point away with a 6-0, 6-4 win over Nosievici at number five.
• But 22nd-ranked Kozar narrowed the elad to 3-1 with a 6-2, 6-0 over #36 Moosbacher at number six.
• Second-ranked Espinal powered through a 6-4, 7-5 nail-biter over #25 Engleman at number two.
• The final two flights both split sets.
• Top-ranked Khazan raced out to a 6-3 first-set win over 6th-ranked Razafindranaly. But the Shark would not go quietly, taking the second set 6-2. Khazan bore down and closed out the match with a 6-4 win in the third set.
• The remaining singles match went unfinished.

NOTES

• For the Buccaneers, it is their 13th SSC Tournament title, breaking their own record set last year for the most in the conference.
• It was the second year in a row that the Bucs knocked off the Sharks for the conference title.
• Barry has now won 57 straight matches since losing 4-2 to the Sharks in the semifinals of the 2019 SSC Tournament.
• The 57 matches are the second-longest winning streak in program history. They won 70 in a row from the start of the 2017 season through the first 12 matches of 2019.
• Since the 2011 season, Barry has gone 284-12 with five national titles.

ON THE HORIZON

The Bucs earn an automatic bid the NCAA South Regional Tournament. It is their 30th bid to the tournament, the most for any active Division II team. Official pairings, times and locations will be released on May 3.