BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Barry University men's tennis team sent defending national champion Valdosta State home after beating the Blazers, 5-1, in the first round of the NCAA Division II National Tournament at Lynn University.
The Buccaneers (22-5) will meet Lynn (19-3) for the South Region title at 1 p.m. Sunday at Perper Tennis Complex.
Barry, ranked No. 3 in the nation, won the No. 2 doubles flight when Daniel Schmidt and Fabian Groetsch beat Tammo Haake and Sebastian Jasyk, 8-5. After dropping the No. 3 pairs match, Barry went ahead 2-1 in the match as 13th-ranked Leo Vivas and Marco Mokrzycki beat Christian Hansen and Niklas Herbring, 9-8 (7-2) at the top pairs flight.
Schmidt, who's been playing some of his best tennis of late, gave the Buccaneers their first singles win when he dispatched Santiago Vidales, 6-1, 6-4, at No. 4 singles.
Ollie Lemaitre beat Sebastian Jasyk, 6-1, 6-2 at No. 6, to pull the Bucs within a point of moving on. Frenchman Romain Costamagna wrapped up the victory with a 6-3, 6-2 No. 3 singles win over Herbring.
Barry lost to Valdosta State (10-10) in last year's national championship. The Bucs have split matches with Lynn this season.
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