by Benny Benton
MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – After a week of weather delays, the Barton College men's tennis team finally got its shot to beat rival University of Mount Olive and grab a share of the Conference Carolinas title, but the nationally-ranked No. 32 Trojans proved too strong in handing the Bulldogs a 7-2 setback.
The loss snapped Barton's seven-match winning streak and dropped the Bulldogs to 12-5 overall and 8-2 in the league. BC will be the No. 3 seed in this weekend's Conference Carolinas Tournament.
Mount Olive completed its second straight undefeated league season at 10-0 and improved to 15-3 overall. UMO will be seeking its second tourney title in a row as well after claiming last year's by beating Barton in the finals.
Senior Max Leppert and junior Nick Genest provided Barton with its two points at No. 3 and No. 4 singles, respectively. Both won in super tiebreaker third sets, Leppert 7-6, 3-6, 1-0 (10-8) over Paul Wiederspahn and Genest 1-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-5).
Yaxi Pintado, playing in the No. 5 slot, had his 11-match winning streak snapped with a straight-set loss. Daniel Radu had a seven-match win streak end in a super tiebreaker third set at the No. 6 spot, and Jake McCartney had a six-match streak end in straight sets to Matthew Finnerty, who is nationally-ranked individually at No. 38.
The Bulldogs lost 8-3 at both No. 2 and No. 3 doubles, with McCartney and Rafael Ruiz Velasco rallying from a 5-2 deficit at No. 1 doubles to reach 8-all before losing the tiebreaker, 7-2.
Barton will face No. 6 seed King University in the opening round of the league tournament on Friday. The two teams met last year in the semifinal round with the Bulldogs as the No. 6 seed and King as the No. 2, but BC pulled off the 5-4 upset to reach the championship match against Mount Olive.
Earlier this year, Barton defeated the Tornado, 8-1, in Wilson.
MOUNT OLIVE 7, BARTON 2
Singles
1. Matthew Finnerty (UMO-MT) def. Jake McCartney (BARTON) 7-6, 6-3
2. Edgar Bub (UMO-MT) def. Rafael Ruiz Velasco (BARTON) 6-3, 6-1
3. Max Leppert (BARTON) def. Paul Wiederspahn (UMO-MT) 7-6, 3-6, 1-0 (10-8)
4. Nick Genest (BARTON) def. Henric Falkenberg (UMO-MT) 1-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-5)
5. Lautaro Vazquez (UMO-MT) def. Yaxi Pintado (BARTON) 6-0, 6-2
6. Martim Sousa (UMO-MT) def. Daniel Radu (BARTON) 3-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-5)
Doubles
1. Edgar Bub/Paul Wiederspahn (UMO-MT) def. Jake McCartney/Rafael Ruiz Velasco (BARTON) 9-8 (7-2)
2. Matthew Finnerty/Henric Falkenberg (UMO-MT) def. Max Leppert/Nick Genest (BARTON) 8-3
3. Lautaro Vazquez/Martim Sousa (UMO-MT) def. Yaxi Pintado/Daniel Radu (BARTON) 8-3
Records
Barton 12-5, 8-2
Mount Olive 15-3, 10-0
