2021 SSC Men’s Tennis Tournament Bracket Announced
MELBOURNE, Fla. - The Sunshine State Conference Men’s Tennis Tournament begins with semifinal play on Thursday, April 22nd. The championship and third-place matches are slated for start Sunday, April 25th. All tournament matches will be played at campus sites.
Barry, the 2021 conference regular season champions, earn the #1 seed in this year’s tournament. The Buccaneers will take on #4 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in the opening round. Saint Leo University grabs the #2 seed and matches up against #3 Lynn University during the semifinals.
Semifinal #1
Barry finished the regular season at 6-0 to win the program’s seventh SSC Regular Season championship. As the #1 seed, Barry will welcome in #4 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University on April 22nd at 2:00 PM. ERAU finished the season 4-3, including a 6-1 loss to Barry in Miami Shores on March 13th. The Buccaneers are looking for a fourth consecutive league tournament title, 16th overall. The Eagles are hunting for win number one against Barry since becoming a full member of the SSC.
Semifinal #2
Saint Leo ended the 2021 regular-season at 6-1 in conference, picking up the #2 seed and hosting rights for the postseason tournament. The Lions will face off against Lynn at 3:00 PM on April 22nd. The Fighting Knights posted a 5-2 conference record, with one of their two losses coming Saint Leo (5-2) on March 22nd. Saint Leo is aiming for its second tournament championship, with the program’s only win coming in 2016. Lynn has hoisted the trophy four times, most recently in 2011. The Fighting Knights defeated the Lion, 4-1, in the last SSC tournament semifinal on April 27, 2019.
ITA National Rankings (4/20/21)
2. Barry
4. Saint Leo
T8. Lynn
25. Embry-Riddle
SSC Men’s Tennis National Championships
In 2019, top-seeded Barry men’s tennis staged a comeback for the ages as they rallied from 3-0 down to win 4-3 over second-seeded Columbus State at the 2019 NCAA Division II Men's Tennis Championships. The defending national champion Buccaneers pulled in to a tie for most national championships in the conference with Rollins. The Tars picked up their last national title in 2001. Meanwhile, Barry won the four most recent titles: 2010, 2013, 2015, and 2019. Lynn won the title in 2007. From 2006 to 2019, the SSC has sent a team to 11 championship matches, coming away with five titles.