MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Barry beat Flagler 5-0 in a rain-shortened match Saturday, spoiling the return of former Buccaneer All-American and assistant coach Thomas Hipp. The win bumped Barry's record to 3-0 in this first week of the season.
Hipp, who was an assistant on two teams who captured NCAA championships including last season's 29-0 campaign, left Barry in the summer to accept the head coaching position at Flagler.
"It feels kind of weird that I was coaching them for so long, always wishing them the best to win, and it's strange now to go against them," Hipp said, donning his Flagler bright orange. "Sometimes when we're playing close points, it's almost like I want to scream for both teams. I will slip sometimes that I'm screaming the wrong name, so it's kind of weird, but it's always nice to come back and see the guys play. I appreciate them very much."
Barry swept the doubles in challenging matches throughout. No. 14-ranked Fabian Groetsch and Ahmed Triki beat Flagler's Jose Martinez and Bruno Padilha 8-4 at the top spot. Romain Costamagna and Leo Vivas were 8-5 winners against Inigo Landaluce and Fabio Ferrauti at No. 2. Ollie Lemaitre and Kevin Sielmann outlasted Uriel Oquendo and David Espinosa 8-6 at No. 3.
With rain clouds moving in, sophomore Eduardo Alfonzo did his part in wrapping up a 6-2, 6-0 No. 6 singles win versus Padilha for the fourth team point. Then just as light rain drops started to make their way toward the courts, the 41st-ranked Sielmann hit a passing shot by Oquendo to secure his No. 4 singles flight 6-1, 6-1 and wrap up the team's clinching fifth point just before the rain set in more.
Groetsch, the 12th-ranked singles player in the country, was up a set on Martinez, who entered with a No. 42 ranking. Costamagna won a first set tiebreaker versus Landaluce 7-6 (3) and was leading by two games at No. 2. Nico Dreer was within a game of putting his match in the books with Ferrauti at No. 3, and Lombardi had a 6-2, 4-3 lead on Brant Switzler at No. 5.
Yet much of the day belonged to the return of the Bucs respected and revered assistant who help set the standards for one of the better NCAA Division II programs in the country.
No. 10 Columbus State 9, Fort Valley State 0
COLUMBUS, Ga. -- Columbus State was in full control on Saturday, defeating Fort Valley State 9-0 at the Mary V. Blackmon Tennis Center on the campus of CSU.
In six matches played, the Cougars lost just two games while FVSU forfeited fifth and sixth singles and third doubles.
In doubles action, Michael Trebuhov and Maciej Kierkus blanked Terrance Jenkins and Jean Dorlean 8-0 at first doubles. It was much of the same at second doubles as Danilo Sardelli and Benedikt Wilde defeated Ralph Kelly and Brandon Stewart-Valentine 8-0.
At the top singles position, Marco Almorin lost just one game to Jenkins but that was it as he won the match 6-1, 6-0. Oussama Zoghlami played at second singles and defeated Dorlean 6-1, 6-0. Adi Malicbegovic swept third singles versus Kelly 6-0, 6-0.
In the final match of the day, Derrick Taylor recorded his first collegiate victory at fourth singles taking down Stewart-Valentine 6-0, 6-0.
