ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – Barry University’s men’s tennis team is headed back to the NCAA Division II semifinals after beating Concordia (N.Y.), 5-1, in the quarterfinals at Sanlando Park.
The No. 3 Buccaneers (25-2) will get a rematch with No. 2 Hawai’i Pacific (22-0) at 1 p.m. Friday. Barry lost to HPU, 5-4, in Miami Shores during the regular season. The No. 4 Clippers’ season came to an end at 18-4.
It marks the Bucs’ fifth trip to the semifinals in the last six years.
Barry seniors Romain Costamagna and Leo Vivas pulled out a 9-8 (7-3) win over Ricardo Frey and Rafael Ferreira at No. 2 doubles to give the Bucs a big boost entering singles play. Barry led 3-0 in the match after Costamagna and Vivas’ win.
Barry’s Kevin Sielmann and Renato Lombardi defeated Tomasz Olfans and Pulat Babadjanov, 8-3, at No. 3 doubles to give the Bucs a 1-0 lead. Second-ranked Ollie Lemaitre and Ahmed Triki were 8-3 winners over No. 4 Daniele Piludu and Benas Majauskas at the No. 1 flight.
In singles, Tenth-ranked Piludu was a 6-2, 6-2 winner over No. 12 Fabian Groetsch at the No. 2 spot as the Clippers pulled within 3-1. But seventh-ranked Triki delivered a 6-3, 6-4 win over No. 3 Juuso Ojanen at No. 1 to move the Buccaneers within a win of clinching.
Barry’s Eduardo Alfonzo claimed that honor with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Frey at No. 6.
Vivas was two points away from closing his No. 4 match with Olfans, leading 7-5, 5-0 when Alfonzo’s win ended the match. Barry’s Nico Dreer led Ofir Ginat, 6-2, 4-3, at No. 3. Lombardi was up 6-2, 4-2 on Ferreira at No. 5.
Thursday's match was delayed six hours due to weather delays.