Women’s Tennis Set To Play In Final Tournament – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/8/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Nov. 8, 2001
COLUMBUS, Ohio-The Ohio State women’s tennis team heads to Champaign, Ill. Nov. 9-11 to particpate in the Midwest Blast Invitational. The tournament is hosted by the University of Illinois. This is the third and final tournament of the fall season for OSU. Oct. 25-30, the Buckeyes competed in the ITA Midwest Regional Tournament and Sept. 28-30 they participated in the Cissie Leary Invitational in Philadelphia.
Who’s Going To Be There
Joing the Buckeyes in Champaign will be the host Illini and the squads from Baylor and Georgia Tech. The event will be staged in mock-dual match format, meaning that, although no team scores will be kept, two teams’ players will be pitted against each other simultaneously, i.e., three concurrent doubles matches or six singles matches going on at the same time. In addition, random extra matches will be scheduled for the late afternoon hours as the tournament goes along.
The Singles Players
The field features some of the best players in the nation as many representives of the Top 100 grace the list of who’s competing. No. 57 Monica Rincon is the lone ranked Buckeye. Baylor has two Top 100 members. No. 24 is Katja Kovac and Vida Mulec is No. 63. Illinois’ Jennifer McGaffigan is No. 70 and Georgia Tech’s Jamie Wong is tied at No. 100.
The Doubles Players
Two doubles teams ranked in the nation will compete on the tournament, including Ohio State’s No. 33-ranked tandem of Monica Rincon and Erica Fisk. Baylor’s duo of Katja Kovac and Vida Mulec compries the No. 21 collegiate double s tandem in the country.
The Leader
Coach Chuck Merzbacher returns for his sixth season at the helm. He has enjoyed much success since becoming the head man at OSU compiling a 71-56 record. Under the guidance of Merzbacher the program has sent the team, a singles player and a doubles tandem to the NCAA Championships. In his tenure at OSU, Merzbacher has coached two All-Americans, a two-time Big Ten Player of the Year, a Big Ten Freshman of the Year and two ITA Midwest Region Players to Watch.
The Schedule of Events
Friday, November 9 9 a.m. – Illinois vs. Georgia Tech (singles) Not before 11 a.m. – Georgia Tech vs. Ohio State (doubles) Illinois vs. Baylor (doubles) Not before 12:30 p.m. – Ohio State vs. Baylor (singles) Not before 2:30 p.m. – extra singles and doubles matches (TBA) Saturday, November 10 9 a.m. – Ohio State vs. Georgia Tech (singles) Not before 11 a.m. – Illinois vs. Georgia Tech (doubles) Ohio State vs. Baylor (doubles) Not before 12:30 p.m. – Illinois vs. Baylor (singles) Not before 2:30 p.m. – extra singles and doubles matches (TBA) Sunday, November 11 8 a.m. – Baylor vs. Georgia Tech (singles) Not before 10 a.m. – Baylor vs. Georgia Tech (doubles) Illinois vs. Ohio State (doubles) Not before 11:30 a.m. – Illinois vs. Ohio State (singles)
In The Rankings
The preseason rankings are out and two Buckeyes–Rincon and Fisk–are listed among the best in the nation. Rincon ended last season ranked No. 83 and begins her senior campaign at No. 57. She teams up with Fisk to crack the Top 50 in doubles at No. 33. Rincon was a mainstay in the rankings last year, but this is the first time her contemporary, Fisk, has been honored as one of the premier collegiate players in the nation at the collegiate level.
The Records
Ohio State’s records this season:
Singles Adams 5-3 Bryan 3-4 Colville 2-5 Fisk 8-3 Matko 3-3 Pervez 4-3 Rincon 6-3 Williams 2-3 Doubles Matko/Williams 4-2 Bryan/Adams 1-1 Castro/Adams 1-1 Pervez/Colville 5-2 Rincon/Fisk 4-5
###GO BUCKS!!###
