Women’s Tennis Opens Big Ten Season with Win over PSU, 4-3 – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/27/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Jan. 27, 2002
COLUMBUS, Ohio-In the Big Ten Conference opener for both teams, the Ohio State women’s tennis team (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) topped Penn State, 4-3, at Jesse Owens West Recreation Center Sunday. The teams split the six singles matches, but Ohio State won the doubles point to secure the victory.
The Buckeyes-ranked No. 33 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association-have won 22 of their last 25 home matches and are a perfect 4-0 on the season. The match marked the Nittany Lions’ first competition of the spring season, dropping the squad to 0-1 overall and in the Big Ten.
The win was head coach Chuck Merzbacher’s 75th win as a Buckeye. He is the fastest coach in Buckeye history to reach 75 career wins. In his sixth season at OSU, Merzbacher is 75-56 overall. In his career, he is 208-119.
Ohio State took a 1-0 lead, winning all three doubles matches to claim the doubles point. Monica Rincon (Sr., Lapeer, Mich./West) and Meaghan Colville (So., Toronto, Ontario/Western Michigan) posted an 8-5 win at No. 1 over Rebecca Ho and Jess McKeown. At No. 2, Erica Fisk (So., Indianapolis, Ind./Pike) and Sadhaf Pervez (Jr., Warren, N.J./Watchung Hill) topped Judy Wang and Leigh Ann Merryman of PSU, 8-4. Michelle Matko (Jr., Aurora, Ill./Aurora West) and Lindsay Williams (So., Beverly Hills, Mich./Birmingham Groves) completed the Buckeye sweep with an 8-5 victory over Maaria Husain and Megan Marton at No. 3.
Rincon clinched the win for the Buckeyes with a straight-set victory over Ho at No. 1 singles, 6-1, 6-2. Fisk and Williams were the other Buckeyes to win in singles. Fisk topped Husain at No. 2, 6-3, 7-5. At No. 5, Williams came back from a set down to defeat Merryman (4-6, 6-4, 6-3).
Penn State’s Marton (No. 3), Wang (No. 4) and Sarah Spence (No. 6) all won their matches in two sets.
The Buckeyes return to the courts when they play host to Virginia Tech at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1. OSU then welcomes Marquette to Columbus for a 10 a.m. matchup Sunday, Feb. 3. Both matches will be contested at Jesse Owens West Recreation Center. Admission is free.
Ohio State 4, Penn State 3 Jan. 27, Columbus, Ohio Jesse Owens West Recreation Center Doubles Rincon/Colville, OSU def. Ho/McKeown, PSU 8-5 Fisk/Pervez, OSU def. Wang/Merryman, PSU 8-4 Matko/Williams, OSU def. Husain/Marton, PSU 8-5 Singles *Monica Rincon, OSU def. Rebecca Ho, PSU 6-1, 6-2 Erica Fisk, OSU def. Maaria Husain, PSU 6-3, 7-5 Megan Marton, PSU def. Sadhaf Pervez, OSU 6-0, 6-3 Judy Wang, PSU def. Michelle Matko, OSU 6-2, 6-4 Lindsay Williams, OSU def. L. Merryman, PSU 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 Sarah Spence, PSU def. Lindsay Bryan, OSU 6-3, 6-4 *clinched win
###Go Bucks###
