May 9, 2008
PENSACOLA, Fla. - The last time the two teams met, the Argos had to rally from a 4-2 deficit to win in an epic match 5-4, with the final three singles matches all won by UWF in three sets. The two teams, both ranked in the top 10, were destined to repeat a thrilling team tennis matchup, with the last doubles match to finish going back and forth with great shot after great shot in key points. In the end, the 3rd ranked Argos defeated the 8th ranked Tigers 5-2, in match that would send one of the best teams in the nation home, without a chance to play in the NCAA championships.
In doubles, the Argos won at number two doubles and Ouachita Baptist won at number three doubles, and the number one doubles match would turn pivotal before singles play. With the set tied at 7-7, Eduardo Cavasotti and Luis Arboleda were down Love-40, and about to lose a service break. In thrilling fashion, they rallied to hold serve, and carried the momentum into the next game. However, with the Argos at match point, OBU's tandem of Ondra Vana and Jakub Smid rallied to hold serve and send the game into a tie breaker. At that point, OBU had the momentum and closed out the one hour and 42 minute pro-set with a 7-1 tie breaker score to win 9-8 and send OBU up 2-1. Vana and Smid are the 7th ranked doubles team in the nation, while Cavasotti and Arboleda are ranked 13th in the nation.
Thus it was déjà Vu all over again for West Florida, who had earlier defeated OBU after being down 2-1 after doubles. At number two doubles, Nicolas Barrientos and Patrick Bateman pulled out an 8-5 win to improve their doubles record on the year to 23-2. The pair are ranked 16th in the nation in doubles. At number three doubles, Luiz Bernardi and Diego Zorzi fell by an 8-2 score to OBU's Isaac Anders and Till Heilshorn. Every matchup except number six singles and number three doubles, was the same as the April 3rd match between the two teams.
As singles play moved into the later part of the first sets, the match was incredibly even, with neither team showing an big advantage, however, the Argos would pull out the first set win in five of the six singles matches. At number one singles, it was a match of #8 Ondra Vana, of Ouachita Baptist, against the Argos Eduardo Cavasotti, ranked 21st in the nation. At number two singles, the match couldn't be any more even, as it pitted #25 Nicolas Barrientos, of West Florida, against #26 Jan Plewinski of Ouachita Baptist. The number one singles was the lone first set victory for Ouachita Baptist. Therefore, the team trailing seemed to have the slight edge, as the second sets began.
Just as most matches were still early in the second set, the number two singles match ended with UWF's Nicolas Barrientos tying up the match at 2-2, with an impressive win over 26th ranked Jan Plewinski by a 6-0, 6-1 score. Moments later, number one singles player Eduardo Cavasotti evened up his match by winning the second set, which appeared to give the Argos the edge going into the stretch run of singles action. West Florida, then took a 3-2 lead, when Patrick Bateman finished his victory at number five singles, by a 6-3, 6-1 score.
As the sun bore down on the players, the Argos number three singles player Diego Zorzi pulled out the second set tie breaker to earn a hard fought 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) win to put the Argos up 4-2. However, no time to celcbrate yet, as the last time the two team met, the Tigers were up 4-2 and the remaining three single matches went into three sets. At the moment the score went to 4-2, the number one singles was already in the third set, and the other two matches were tight midway through the second set.
But the suspense was ended a few minutes later, as number one singles player Eduardo Cavasotti capped off a great comeback with a 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 win. That gave the Argos the 5-2 win, and a trip to Houston for the sweet 16 National Championships. UWF is now 22-4 on the season and making their 12th consecutive trip to the NCAA Championships, and 26th trip total to either the NCAA championships or the NAIA championships. The Argos won it all in 2004, and again in 2005.
Match 3: #2 West Florida defeats #3 Ouachita Baptist 5-2
#1 Doubles: Vana & Smid (OBU) defeated Cavasotti & Arboleda (UWF) 9-8 (7-1)
#2 Doubles: Barrientos & Bateman (UWF) defeated Plewinski & Stverka (OBU) 8-5
#3 Doubles: Anders & Heilshorn (OBU) defeated Zorzi & Bernardi (UWF) 8-2
#1 Singles: Eduardo Cavasotti (UWF) defeated Ondrej Vana (OBU) 1-6, 6-3, 6-2
#2 Singles: Nicolas Barrientos (UWF) defeated Jan Plewinski (OBU) 6-0, 6-1
#3 Singles: Diego Zorzi (UWF) defeated Till Heilshorn (OBU) 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)
#4 Singles: Luiz Bernardi (UWF) vs. Vagen Akapian (OBU) DNF
#5 Singles: Patrick Bateman (UWF) defeated Jakub Smid (OBU) 6-3, 6-1
#6 Singles: Jose Ycaza (UWF) vs. Issac Anders (OBU) DNF
