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2022 Men's Tennis National Champs
1
Wayne State WSUM (26-5)
4
Winner Barry BARRY-M (22-5)
Wayne State WSUM
(26-5)
1
Final
4
Barry BARRY-M
(22-5)
Winner

Match Recap: Men's Tennis | | Dennis Jezek, Jr.

OLE, OLE, OLE! Men's Tennis Wins Third Straight National Championship

Sixth overall and 1st for new head coach Thomas Hipp

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. -- The second-ranked and third-seeded men's tennis team got healthy at the right time and claimed the program's third straight NCAA Division II National Championship with a 4-1 win over 10th-ranked and fourth-seeded Wayne State from Michigan at Sanlando Park on Sunday.

Barry has now won six overall men's tennis championships, with the last three straight titles.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: #3 Barry 4, #10 Wayne State (Mich.) 1
Records: Barry 22-5, Wayne State 24-5
Series: Series tied 1-1

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING:

SUMMARY:

Doubles

  1. #19 Martin Gutierrez/Ignasi Forcano (BU) def #7 Daniel Grey/Cedric Drenth (WSU) 6-4
  2. #21 Arnau Rodriguez/Alejandro Ibañez Gallego vs. Dom Spicer/Luke Laws (WSU)  4-3, unfinished
  3. Alessandro Giuliato/Hugo Cazaban (BU) def. Niklas Karcz/Ben Lakeman (WSU) 6-2

Singles

  1. #7 Alejandro Palacios (BU) vs #30 Dom Spicer (WSU) 4-6, 6-1, 1-1, unfinished
  2. #13 Alejandro Ibañez Gallego (BU) def. Ben Lakeman (WSU) 6-0, 6-2
  3. #23 Alessandro Giuliato (BU) def. Niklas Karcz (WSU) 6-2, 7-5
  4. Daniel Grey (WSU) def. Ignasi Forcano (BU) (BU) 6-4, 6-3
  5. #7 Arnau Rodriguez (BU) def. Cedric Drenth (WSU) 7-5, 6-1
  6. Martin Gutierrez (BU) vs. Luke Laws (WSU) 6-3, 5-6, unfinished

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • Barry captured the doubles point with wins at the third and first flights.
  • Giuliato and Cazaban quickly put away Karcz and Lakeman 6-2 at number three.
  • At number one, the 19th-ranked pair of Forcano and Gutierrez avenged an earlier loss to seventh-ranked Drenth and Grey by winning 6-4 after trailing early.
  • Heading into singles, and needing just three of the six matches, #13 Ibañez Gallego worked over Lakeman 6-0, 6-2 to take the first singles point.
  • The Warriors wouldn't go away quietly. Grey beat Forcano 6-4, 6-3 at number four to trim the lead to 2-1.
  • The drama didn't last long, however. Rodriguez, ranked 73rd, rallied from down 5-4 in the first set to beat Drenth 7-5, 6-1.
  • The clinch came at number three, with #23 Giuliato taking the first set 6-2, then rallying from down 5-2 in the second set to with 7-5. 
  • The remaining matches went unfinished.

NOTEWORTHY

  • The Bucs won their sixth men's tennis national championship and third in a row (2010, 2013, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2022). 
  • For Barry's overall athletic program, it is their 26th national championship and 21st since 2004.
  • Barry moved into a tie for third with their sixth title, matching UC-Irvine (all of whose championships came before match play started in 1983). Lander (8) and SIU-Edwardsville (7) are the most in the division. 
  • The win avenged an earlier 4-3 loss to the Warriors, when the Bucs were without Ibañez Gallego. The win evens the overall series at 1-1.
  • For head coach Thomas Hipp, it is his first championship as a head coach. He was an assistant coach at Barry in 2010 and 2013.
  • Ibañez Gallego, Palacios, Forcano and Giutierrez were all part of the three straight championships. 

ON THE HORIZON

The Bucs return to campus this weekend.

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