SPRINGFIELD — When the No. 1 singles match began Wednesday, it was just South Hadley’s Connor Barbacki against Pioneer Christian’s Ethan Ondrick.

By the end, both players were playing with their team’s season on the line.

Barbacki battled back from a third-set hole to win his match and send the Tigers to the Western Massachusetts Division 3 Tournament championship with a 3-2 win, Wednesday.

The senior trailed 3-1 in the third set, but rallied for a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 victory.

“I really wanted to keep going in Western Mass., so it really motivated me to win that set,” Barbacki said.

Third-seeded South Hadley (11-8) will face No. 1 Belchertown (17-3) Friday. A site and time have not been determined. The Orioles, who are three-time finalists, beat South Hadley twice in the regular season, both times 4-1.

“We’ve seen them twice and they’ve seen us twice,” South Hadley coach Dan Dubuc said.

In the opening set at first singles, neither player took a lead of more than one game until Barbacki broke away for a 6-4 win. Ondrick responded in the second set with a 6-2 victory.

As the third set was about to start, both teams had gathered to watch.

“After the second set, what motivated me was that I was the match that decided the whole thing,” Barbacki said.

At No. 2 singles, PVCA’s Andrew Taft got off to a slow start, but came around to beat Michael Zhou 7-5, 6-3. Zhou led 4-0 in the first set, but once Taft took the lead he never gave it back.

Eagles No. 3 singles player Emil Tumasyan beat John Parenteau 6-2, 6-1.

The Tigers No. 1 doubles team of Zach Kotfila and Jack Canavan Gosselin beat Andrew Rossoshanskiy and Kevin Sharpe 6-2, 6-3. Kotfila and Canavan Gosselin never trailed in the win.

At No. 2 doubles, South Hadley’s Gavin Lipp and Nate Piligian won decisively over Daniel Dactor and Nathanial Brouseau 6-1, 6-0.

“Without trying to sound cliché or anything, we’ve talked about this all season, we’re just gonna worry about the tennis, the very fundamental aspect of tennis,” Dubuc said on the team’s approach to the semifinal. “The little things like footwork, or correct shot placement, you know, and no matter who we play that’s what we’re gonna try to do every single time.”

South Hadley is ready for the challenge that awaits in the finals.

“We have the utmost respect for Belchertown, but I think the guys are gonna be ready just by doing what they’ve been doing all season,” Dubuc said.

South Hadley 3,
Pioneer Christian 2

at PVCA

First singles: Connor Barbacki (SH) def. Ethan Ondrick 6-4, 2-6, 6-4; Second singles: Andrew Taft (PVCA) def. Michael Zhou 7-5, 6-3; Third singles: Emil Tumasyan (PVCA) def. John Parenteau 6-2, 6-1; First doubles: Zach Kotfila & Jack Canavan Gosselin (SH) def. Andrew Rossoshanskiy & Kevin Sharpe 6-2, 6-3; Second doubles: Gavin Lipp & Nate Piligian (SH) def. Daniel Dactor & Nathanial Brouseau 6-1, 6-0

Records: South Hadley (11-8) PVCA (12-3)