ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla.—The Barry University men’s tennis team gave it their all, but was unable to hold off the Valdosta State Blazers in the NCAA National Championship. The Bucs went down 2-1 after doubles, later tied it up in singles, but the Blazers earned three singles to take the 5-2 win.
In doubles action, the Bucs went down 2-1, dropping flights one and two, but taking the win at No. 3. In the third flight, Sergio Velez and Ollie Lemaitre won 8-6. The Bucs dropped the first four games of the set before taking three in a row. Down 5-3, Velez and Lemaitre took five of the final six games, and two breaks, for the win.
At No. 1, the fifth-ranked team of Emanuel Fraitzl and Max Wimmer lost 8-2 to Daniel Duren and Christian Hansen. The Blazers jumped out to a 5-0 lead. Barry took games seven and nine, but couldn’t hold off the second-ranked duo in the country.
In the second doubles flight, #35 Marco Mokrzycki and Quentin Vachez dropped an 8-2 set to twelfth-ranked Philip Pakebusch and Luis Loeffler.
In singles action, the Bucs tied it up at two apiece when Romain Costamagna beat Otto Lenhart 6-1, 6-3. In the first set, Costamagna gave the first game to Lenhart but took six straight for the first-set win. In the second set, Costamagna took the first three games and split the remaining for the 6-3 win.
Needing three singles points to capture the national crown, the Blazers got their first at No. 5 where Konstantin Kutschenko beat Ollie Lemaitre 7-6 (6-1), 6-1. The pair went to a tiebreaker in the first set.
In addition to Lemaitre at the fifth flight, the Buccaneers forced first-set tiebreakers in three other matches. Fourth-ranked Fraitzl won his first set against #3 Pakebusch, 7-6 (7-5). Pakebusch took the second set 6-4 and they were tied 3-3 in the third when the match ended.
At flight No. 3, #36 Mokrzycki forced a first-set tiebreak with #28 Hansen. He lost the first set 7-6 (7-4) and went on to fall in the second set 6-4 to give the Blazers their fourth point.
The Blazer’s final point came in the fourth flight where #30 Loeffer clinched the decisive point over Vachez. Behind 5-2, Vachez took four straight games to go up 6-5. Loeffler took the final game and went on to win the tiebreak 9-7. He took the second set, 6-3, by winning the final three games to clinch the national championship.
Wimmer’s matchup at No. 2 went unfinished. Wimmer dropped the first set 7-5 to #19 Dueren. He was up 4-3 in the second when the match ended.
The runner-up finish is the fifth all-time for the Buccaneers. Most recently, they were runners-up in 2008 and 2009 before beating the Blazers last season 5-4 in the national championship match. The Bucs finish the year with a 22-8 overall record.
Tennis Match Results
Barry vs Valdosta State
05/14/11 at Altamonte Springs, Fla.
(Sanlando Park)
#2 Valdosta State 5, #5 Barry 2
Singles competition
1. #3 Philip Pakebusch (VSU) vs. #4 Emanuel Fraitzl (BUM) 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 3-4, unfinished
2. #19 Daniel Dueren (VSU) vs. #25 Max Wimmer (BUM) 7-5, 3-5, unfinished
3. #28 Christian Hansen (VSU) def. #36 Marco Mokrzycki (BUM) 7-6 (7-4), 6-4
4. #30 Luis Loeffler (VSU) def. Quentin Vachez (BUM) 7-6 (8-6), 6-3
5. Konst. Kutschenko (VSU) def. Ollie Lemaitre (BUM) 7-6 (7-2), 6-1
6. Romain Costamagna (BUM) def. Otto Lenhart (VSU) 6-1, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. #2 Daniel Dueren/Christian Hansen (VSU) def. #5 Emanuel Fraitzl/Max Wimmer (BUM) 8-3
2. #12 Philip Pakebusch/Luis Loeffler (VSU) def. #35 Marco Mokrzycki/Quentin Vachez (BUM) 8-2
3. Sergio Velez/Ollie Lemaitre (BUM) def. Bernhard Wallner/Konst. Kutschenko (VSU) 8-6
Match Notes:
Valdosta State 22-8; National ranking #2
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (6,3,4)
NCAA Division II National Championships
Championship Match
Match 29
Valdosta State wins 2011 National Championship
Barry vs Valdosta State
05/14/11 at Altamonte Springs, Fla.
(Sanlando Park)
#2 Valdosta State 5, #5 Barry 2
Singles competition
1. #3 Philip Pakebusch (VSU) vs. #4 Emanuel Fraitzl (BUM) 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 3-4, unfinished
2. #19 Daniel Dueren (VSU) vs. #25 Max Wimmer (BUM) 7-5, 3-5, unfinished
3. #28 Christian Hansen (VSU) def. #36 Marco Mokrzycki (BUM) 7-6 (7-4), 6-4
4. #30 Luis Loeffler (VSU) def. Quentin Vachez (BUM) 7-6 (8-6), 6-3
5. Konst. Kutschenko (VSU) def. Ollie Lemaitre (BUM) 7-6 (7-2), 6-1
6. Romain Costamagna (BUM) def. Otto Lenhart (VSU) 6-1, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. #2 Daniel Dueren/Christian Hansen (VSU) def. #5 Emanuel Fraitzl/Max Wimmer (BUM) 8-3
2. #12 Philip Pakebusch/Luis Loeffler (VSU) def. #35 Marco Mokrzycki/Quentin Vachez (BUM) 8-2
3. Sergio Velez/Ollie Lemaitre (BUM) def. Bernhard Wallner/Konst. Kutschenko (VSU) 8-6
Match Notes:
Valdosta State 22-8; National ranking #2
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (6,3,4)
NCAA Division II National Championships
Championship Match
Match 29
Valdosta State wins 2011 National Championship