The 14th-ranked Rice men's tennis team would not be denied a ticket to the NCAA Sweet 16 by either Louisiana State or the weather, shutting out the Tigers with a weather delayed 4-0 victory in Baton Rouge, La., on Sunday.
The action began outdoors with doubles and LSU took the early advantage with a win at No. 2. The Owls' Robert Searle and Ben Harknett then answered with an 8-6 win at No. 3. The Tigers' Bryan Fisher and Jason Hazley, ranked 13th, had Rice's top-ranked tandem of Richard and William Barker against the ropes, up 7-6 when severe weather began moving into the area. After a long delay as the match was moved indoors to the Country Club of Louisiana, the Barkers rebounded for a 9-7 victory, swinging the momentum in favor of Rice.
With only three courts available indoors, singles action began at the top three ladder positions. Richard Barker struck first with a 6-2, 6-1 victory against Fisher at No. 3. Robert Searle, ranked 35th nationally in singles, scored next for the Owls, sweeping 30th-ranked Ken Skupski 6-1, 6-3 at the top spot. William Barker then blasted Hazley in the second set to record a 6-4, 6-0 win at No. 2 and secure Rice's trip to the Sweet 16.
Rice now travels to Tulsa, Okla., to face second-ranked and third-seeded Baylor in the continuation of the NCAA team championships, in addition to the start of the singles and doubles championships.
This is the Owls' first trip to the Sweet 16 since the NCAA initiated the dual-match, single-elimination team championship in 1977. Before 1977, individual wins counted in the teams total points. Under the points system, Rice was the NCAA runner-up in 1947, 1968 and 1970.