ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. — Unforgettable.
Every team's dream is to make it to nationals and hoist the trophy. Sixth-ranked Flagler College did that, making it to the NCAA Division II Men's Tennis National Championships and vying its way to the national semifinals Saturday morning at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs.
It was a stage the program had never witnessed before as Flagler took first-time appearances in the Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, and Final Four — to pair with its first Peach Belt Conference regular-season title and hosting rights of the southeast regional — to put the Saints on the map.
The ending wasn't what the Saints wanted — a 4-0 loss to No. 2 Barry University — but it laid the foundation for first-year head coach
Jonas Piibor as he led his first Flagler team to five first-time feats behind a 20-6 overall record.
"Right now, it's an empty feeling as we never wanted the season to end," Piibor said. "Credit to Barry for stepping it up against us today. I couldn't ask anymore from the TEAM as we have battled through each and every day since the start last fall. "They have put it on the line every single day and they can be proud of everything they have accomplished.
"Throughout this year, I have truly experienced and felt how special Flagler College is and how much people support and care. We will continue to work as hard as we can to get ready for next year. GO SAINTS!!!!"
In doubles, Flagler came out firing on all cylinders as all three courts were competitively tough. The 21st-ranked duo of Arnau Rodriguez and Alejandro Gallego edged
Nikita Tatyanin and
Cedric Holzmann at second doubles, 6-4, before No. 17
Oscar Del Granado and
Philipp Lemken took down No. 19 Ignasi Forcano and Martin Gutierrez by the same score, winning 6-4.
In a tiebreaker, Alessandro Giuliato and Hugo Cazaban fought back to edge
Jacopo Denitto and
Petr Cervinka, 7-6 (7-5), and secure the doubles point for the Bucs (21-5). It was a lead the defending national champions never lost as Ignasi Forcano won on court three, Cazaban secured a point in fifth singles, and then Gutierrez clinched the match on court six.
Senior Del Granado was fighting back in the second set on court one, while Lemken and Tatyanin were grinding in the second sets on courts four and two, respectively.
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