MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Barry University's No. 1-ranked men's tennis team beat No. 27 Valdosta State, 8-1, Friday at Buccaneer Tennis Center. The Buccaneers will take a 2-0 record into Saturday's 2 p.m. match against Flagler.
Saturday's match marks the return of former Bucs assistant coach Thomas Hipp, who is now the head coach at Flagler.
Barry swept the doubles, picking up two wins in matches featuring ranked duos. At No. 1, Barry's Fabian Groetsch and Ahmed Triki, who own a No. 14 national ranking, beat Francisco Yim Kim and Mario Navarro Bayo, 8-4. Bucs partners Romain Costamagna and Leo Vivas, who developed an unbridled energy amongst themselves in the magical run to the NCAA Division II National Championship of yesteryear, beat No. 11 Sebastian Jasyk and Tammo Haake, 8-5.
Ollie Lemaitre and Renato Lombardi were 8-3 winners over Niklas Herbring and Gereon Heitmann at the No. 3 flight.
Triki picked up his first duals match singles victory as a Buccaneer when he beat Yim Kim, 6-3, 6-3, at the No. 1 spot. Groetsch, ranked No. 12, rolled by Heitmann, 6-2, 6-1, at No. 2. Valdosta's Mario Navarro Bayo gutted out a three-set battle with Costamagna, winning 6-2, 5-7, 10-8.
Barry's Nico Dreer was a 6-1, 6-4 winner over Jasyk. Vivas, who entered the spring with a No. 37 ranking, withstood Haake for a 6-4, 6-4 win. In the last match to finish, Lemaitre cruised by Andrew Harvin, 6-2, 6-1.
Following Saturday's 2 p.m. match with Flagler, the Bucs will host Embry-Riddle at 10 a.m. Sunday.