MIAMI SHORES, Fla. – Top-seeded and host Barry University women’s tennis team beat eighth-seeded Stillman, 5-1, in the NCAA Division II South Region 1 semifinals Saturday at Buccaneer Tennis Center.
The Buccaneers (25-0) advance to Sunday’s 9 a.m. championship match against fifth-seeded Lynn (14-4). It will be an all-Sunshine State Conference finals match to decide which team moves on to meet Midwestern State (17-6) in the Round of 16 at the NCAA Championships May 8-11 in Surprise, Ariz.
Barry, the lone unbeaten Division II team left in the country, swept the doubles matches before 41st-ranked Emma Onila and 33rd-ranked Linda Fritschken both delivered straight-set singles victories without giving up a game to clinch the victory for the Buccaneers. Onila defeated Nair Tolomeo, 6-0, 6-0, at No. 2. Fritschken beat Veronika Kalugina, 6-0, 6-0, at No. 3.
The Buccaneers No. 11-ranked pairs team of Elisabeth Abanda and Onila beat Litia Godinet and Kalugina, 8-0, at the top flight. Fritschken and Kimmy Twelker defeated Nair Tolomeo and Angela Corredor, 8-1, at No. 2. Karina Goia and Akemi Maehama swept Whitney Horner and Rosana Mederios, 8-0, at the third flight.
Barry defaulted the No. 6 singles flight after Twelker was removed from singles play.
Sunday's match marks the second time in an 18-day span the Bucs and Fighting Knights will have met at Buccaneer Tennis Center this year. Barry beat Lynn, 8-1, on April 10.