NINE IS NICE: Barry Women's Tennis Reclaims National Championship

NINE IS NICE: Barry Women's Tennis Reclaims National Championship

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Barry breaks NCAA record with 9th title

By: Dennis Jezek | Barry Athletic Communications

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla.--  The top-ranked Barry Buccaneers battled down to the wire with their rivals Nova Southeastern before coming away with their ninth NCAA Women's Tennis Tournament Championship at Sanlando Park on Sunday. The Bucs came away with a 4-3 win over the Sharks, avenging last year's title loss.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: No. 1 Barry 4, No. 2 Nova Southeastern 3
Records: Barry (26-1), NSU (25-4)
Series: Barry leads the series 36-4

SUMMARY:

Doubles

  1. #16 Isabella Ciancaglini / Kristyna Hranacova (NSU) def. #15 Ailen Crespo / Andrea Di Palma (Barry) — 6-3
  2. #45 Viktoriia Dema / Maria Tatarnikova (Barry) def. Noemie Dadoun / Sofia Shing (NSU) — 6-0
  3. Ita Habekovic / Julia Moraes (NSU) def. Dinara Alloiarova / Louane Lutringer (Barry) — 6-3

Singles

  1. #3 Kristyna Hranacova (NSU) def. #5 Alina Michalitsch (Barry) — 6-0, 6-4
  2. #18 Ita Habekovic (NSU) def. #15 Viktoriia Dema (Barry) — 7-5, 6-3
  3. #22 Andrea Di Palma (Barry) def. Sofia Shing (NSU) — 6-1, 4-6, 6-1
  4. Louane Lutringer (Barry) def. Isabella Ciancaglini (NSU) — 6-0, 6-1
  5. #52 Dinara Alloiarova (Barry) def. Noemie Dadoun (NSU) — 7-5, 6-4
  6. #3 Angela Leweurs (Barry) def. Julia Moraes (NSU) — 6-4, 6-4

HOW IT HAPPENED:

  • The Bucs grabbed an early victory in doubles, as Dema and Tatarnikova blanked Dadoun and Shing 6-0 at #2 doubles.
  • But the Sharks rallied to take the other two courts and the doubles point with identical 6-3 wins.
  • Lutringer evened the match by cruising past Ciancaglini 6-0, 6-1 at #4.
  • But the Sharks again rallied. Third-ranked Hranacova defeated fifth-ranked Michalitsch for the third straight time this year 6-0, 6-4 at number one.
  • Eighteenth-ranked Habekovic made it 3-1 with a 7-5, 6-3 over #15 Dema at number two.
  • Needing all three remaining courts, the Bucs refused to fold. At the bottom flight, #31 Leweurs handled Moraes 6-4, 6-4.
  • The Bucs evened the match 3-3 as #52 Alloiarova gutted out a tough 7-5, 6-4 win over Dadoun.
  • Just as it had in the Sunshine State Conference Tournament final, the match came down to #22 Di Palma and Shing at #3 singles. After splitting the first two sets, 6-1 for Di Palma and 6-4 for Shing, as they had previously, Di Palma got on a roll and carried the last set and the match 6-1.

NOTEWORTHY:

  • The Bucs won their ninth overall national championship and seventh in the last eight years. The ninth title breaks the tie they shared with (now defunct) Armstrong Atlantic for the most women's titles in the division.
  • For Barry's overall athletic program, it is their 29th national championship and 25th since 2004.
  • The win was the 23rd straight for the Bucs, after an early season loss to NCAA Division I Florida Gulf Coast. They were undefeated in the division.
  • Leweurs became the first female Buccaneer to four national championships during her career. Alejandro Palacios and Alejandro Gallego both accomplished the feat for the men in 2023.