Championship Sunday: #15 Mocs Against #3 Buccaneers for the SSC Title

5LAKELAND, Fla. – For the first time since 2002, the No. 15/three-seed Florida Southern College men's tennis team will compete in the Sunshine State Conference Championship Final in a match against No.3/one-seed Barry University on Sunday morning at the Mitch Gornto Tennis Center.
 
SSC Championship
Opponent: No. 3/one-seed Barry University
Location: West Palm Beach, Fla. | Mitch Gornto Tennis Center
Date: Sunday, April 27, 2025 | 9:00 a.m.
Tournament Page: https://sunshinestateconference.com/tournaments/?id=252
 
The Moccasins captured its 28^th SSC tournament appearance as the three-seed, the highest seeding in the conference postseason in recent history. So far in the 2025 tournament, FSC won 4-2 in the quarterfinal against No. 48 Lynn University, and a 4-3 upset of No. 10 Saint Leo in this morning's semifinal match. Florida Southern won its 17^th match of the season with the win over SLU, the first time since 2008 that the Mocs reached that mark. FSC is currently 17-7 overall and 4-3 in conference, the first season since 2010 in which the Mocs had a winning conference record. In the latest NCAA regional rankings, Florida Southern is No. 7 in the South region, remaining in NCAA postseason contention. Barry (#3), Saint Leo (#4), Embry-Riddle (#6), and Rollins (#9) round out the remaining SSC teams in the regional top-10 rankings.
 
No. 15/Three-Seed Moccasins | Roster | Schedule | Coaches | Stats
The Moccasins have already made history in this year's championship, winning the program's first tournament match since 2013 after Friday's 4-2 win over the Fighting Knights. FSC lost the doubles point in that match, but rallied in singles with wins by Chris Fok Kow, Mario Garoz, and Bosko Boskovic, and a match-clinching win by George Russell in a third-set tiebreak.
 
In the semifinal match against Saint Leo, the Mocs won doubles, including a big win at #1 by Fok Kow/Garoz over the No. 3 pairing of Cohen/Iriarte. Garoz was the first Moc to win a singles court against SLU, his 21^st win of the season, breaking a 27-year record, previously set by Patrick Ney, who went 20-3 in 1998. Fok Kow won his third set against Segovia to keep FSC in the running, leaving the match up to Russell once again. The England native rose to the occasion, winning another third-set tiebreak to win the match 4-3 for the Mocs, the first win over the Lions since 2011. Heading into tomorrow's match, FSC has a doubles pairing of Fok Kow/Garoz ranked No. 41, Frizelle No. 69 in singles, and Garoz No. 53, also in singles.
 
No. 3/One-Seed Buccaneers | Roster | Schedule | Coaches | Stats
Barry University earned the No. 1 seed in the 2025 championship, credited with a first-round bye. The first match for Barry was this morning against Embry-Riddle, in which the Buccaneers won 4-1. For the ITA ranking of their players, the Bucs have two doubles pairings in the top 50, Leo Caill/Adam Lynch ranked No. 39, and Habriele Felline/Tim Riedel No. 40. In singles, Barry has Riccardo Trione ranked 37^th, Felline 68^th, and Yan Kodjoed 31^st.
 
Series Matchup
Since 1996, both teams have faced each other 45 times, with Barry holding a 38-7 record over Florida Southern. The Mocs have lost the last 23 matches to the Buccaneers, dating back to March 18, 2007, with a 5-4 home win by FSC. Last time out, the Mocs hosted then No. 6 Barry, losing doubles and only getting singles court wins by Garoz and Fok Kow, each in a third set or tiebreak. The Mocs and Bucs most recently met in the SSC tournament last season, losing the quarterfinal match 4-0. Overall, Barry is 10-2 against Florida Southern in the SSC tournament, with FSC winning in 2000 and 2002, both years that the Mocs won the SSC Championship. The match in 2000 was a 5-4 win by the Mocs to win the championship.  
 
Tournament History
Florida Southern has a 23-33 overall record in the SSC tournament dating back to 1996, with 28 appearances, having won the last matches in a row in the 2025 tournament. This marks the second year of a six-team bracket, as opposed to an eight-team field from previous tournaments. The Mocs have won the conference championship two times in their program history, the first in 2000 and then again in 2002. Barry University has won the last seven championships, dating back to 2017.
 
NCAA Postseason
Winners of each championship will receive automatic qualification to the 2025 NCAA Division II Championships. Regional rounds for the NCAA Championships will be played at non-predetermined sites between May 9 and 13. Finals for men will take place May 20-24 and finals for women will be from May 21-25. Both championships will be held at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Spring, Florida. The championships are hosted by Rollins College and the Greater Orlando Sports Commission. The NCAA will announce postseason selections on Monday, May 5.