Women’s Tennis Hits the Road – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/21/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Feb. 21, 2002
COLUMBUS, Ohio-The Ohio State women’s tennis team (8-0, 1-0 Big Ten) hits the road for the first time this spring, traveling to face Big Ten foes Wisconsin and Minnesota this weekend. The Buckeyes will face the Badgers (6-2, 1-0 Big Ten) at 11 a.m. EST Saturday and the Golden Gophers (3-6, 0-0 Big Ten) at 11 a.m. EST Sunday.
IN THE RANKINGS
The Buckeyes were ranked 35th in the Feb. 20 Omni Hotels Collegiate Tennis Rankings administered by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. The squad held the No. 33 position in the previous rankings. Kansas held the No. 50 spot in the last rankings.
CHECK IT OUT
The ITA will release the Omni Hotels Collegiate Tennis Rankings for singles and doubles Friday, Feb. 22. They can be found on-line at itatennis.com (click on rankings).
THE BEST
The Buckeyes’ 8-0 record (with all the wins coming at home) is the best start to a season for the program since at least the 1985-86 season. The squad’s mark for consecutive wins is nine, set in the 2000 season and the record for consecutive wins at home is 11, also set in 2000.
KEEPING IT GOING
The Buckeyes are undefeated on the season, going a perfect 8-0 to start the spring. The squad posted shutouts in its first three matches and defeated Virginia Tech, Marquette and Kansas easily, 6-1. The squad topped Maryland and Penn State, 4-3.
BATTLE OF FIRST
Wisconsin and Ohio State sit in first place in the Big Ten entering the weekend with one win each. The Buckeyes beat Penn State, 4-3, while the Badgers topped Minnesota, 7-0.
A LOOK AT THE BADGERS
Wisconsin enters the weekend with a mark of 6-2 overall and 1-0 in the Big Ten. The squad is ranked No. 41 after defeating wins over four ranked teams. Earlier this season, UW beat then-No. 37 Old Dominion, 5-2. The Badgers’ only losses are to top-ranked Stanford and No. 11 Washington. Vanessa Rauh has recorded a mark of 6-2 at No. 1 singles this spring. AT THE HELM
Patti Henderson is in her sixth year at the helm for the Badgers. She has led the team to four NCAA tournaments and the squad has finished lower than third in the Big Ten just once. Four of her student-athletes have earned All-America honors. UW won the Big Ten title in 1995-96, with Henderson garnering conference coach of the year honors.
BUCKEYES vs. BADGERS
The Buckeyes trail the all-time series with Wisconsin, 5-26. The Buckeyes have posted 5-2 wins in the last two meetings between the teams.
OSU vs. UW – LAST SEASON
The Buckeyes and Badgers last met March 4, 2001, in Columbus. The Buckeyes lost the doubles point but rebounded to win five-of-six singles matches en route to a 5-2 victory over the Badgers last season. Erica Fisk led the Buckeyes, posting a three-set win over Linde Mues at No. 4 singles.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GOPHERS
Minnesota is 3-6 on the season following a loss to Colorado in its last action. The squad is 0-1 in the Big Ten, as it lost to Wisconsin, 7-0, in its conference opener. Michaela Havelkova leads the team with a record of 6-3 at No. 1 singles and has teamed with Valerie Vladea to post a mark of 3-1 at the No. 1 doubles spot. The Golden Gophers will face off against Penn State before playing host to the Buckeyes.
AT THE HELM
Tyler Thomson is in his first season at the helm of the Golden Gophers. Thomson, who replaced Martin NOvak, was an assistant coach at William & Mary before joining the Minnesota staff. Thomson was a four-year starter in doubles, an eventually starter in singles and a team captain at the University of Montana.
THE SERIES
The Buckeyes trail the series with Minnesota, 7-23. The Buckeyes have lost four of the last five meetings, with their only win recorded last season, 7-0.
THE LAST MEETING
The Buckeyes shutout Minnesota, 7-0, last season in Columbus. The Buckeyes swept the doubles matches and won all but one of the singles matches in straight sets.
RECAPPING LAST WEEKEND:
No. 35 Ohio State 6, No. 50 Kansas 1
The Ohio State women’s tennis team closed its eight-match, season-opening homestand undefeated after topping Kansas, 6-1, Sunday, Feb. 17, in a non-conference match at Jesse Owens West Recreation Center.
For the eighth-consecutive match, and seventh time this spring, the Buckeyes won all three doubles matches and claimed the doubles point. At No. 1, the tandem of Monica Rincon (Sr., Lapeer, Mich./West) and Meaghan Colville (So., Toronto, Ontario/Western Michigan) rebounded from a loss to Maryland Friday to beat the Jayhawk team of Kristen and Courtney Steinbock, 8-4. Buckeyes Erica Fisk (So., Indianapolis, Ind./Pike) and Sadhaf Pervez (Jr., Warren, N.J./Watchung Hills) improved to 5-0 in the spring with an 8-2 victory over KU’s Emily Haylock and Paige Brown. Michelle Matko (Jr., Aurora, Ill./Aurora West) and Lindsay Williams (So., Beverly Hills, Mich./Birmingham Groves), the only OSU duo to compete in every match this spring, stayed perfect (8-0) with a victory over Aurelie Bejar and Cheryl Mallaiah, 8-5.
The Buckeyes won five-of-six singles matches, all in straight sets, for the win. Rincon topped Mallaiah at No. 1, 6-1, 6-4, improving her record on the spring to 6-0. At No. 2, Fisk won her team-best 13th match of the season, defeating Haylock, 6-4, 7-6 (2). Pervez beat C. Steinbock at No. 3 (6-4, 6-4), Williams beat Bejar at No. 5 (6-3, 6-1) and at No. 6, Colville topped Christi Wagenaar, 6-2, 7-6 (3). The Jayhawks’ lone win came at No. 4, where Brown topped Matko in three sets (6-1, 5-7, 6-3).
Ohio State 4, Maryland 3
The Ohio State women’s tennis team improved to a perfect 7-0 on the season with a 4-3 victory over Maryland in a non-conference match at Jesse Owens West Recreation Center Friday, Feb. 15. Maryland fell to 2-2 for the year.
The Buckeyes earned the doubles point for the seventh time this spring. At No. 2 Buckeyes Erica Fisk (So., Indianapolis, Ind./Pike) and Sadhaf Pervez (Jr., Warren, N.J./Watchung Hills) won easily, 8-1, over Marta Jedrzejak and Emily DeCamilla. Michelle Matko (Jr., Aurora, Ill./Aurora West) and Lindsay Williams (So., Beverly Hills, Mich./Birmingham Groves) posted the second Buckeye win, as they topped Pam Floro and Chloe Charades, 8-4, at No. 3. At No. 1, Monica Rincon (Sr., Lapeer, Mich./West) and Meaghan Colville (So., Toronto, Ontario/Western Michigan) were defeated by the Terrapins’ Delila Causevic and Emily Marker, 8-4.
The singles matches were close, with each team winning three. Rincon won at No. 1 for the Buckeyes, topping Causevic (6-4, 7-5). At No. 3, Pervez posted a straight-set, 6-3, 6-3, victory over Floro. Williams recorded the third Buckeye win, defeating Charardes at No. 5, 6-4, 6-4.
At No. 6, Claudia Castro (Sr., Dublin, Ohio/Aquinas (Wis.) lost to DeCamilla in a third set tiebreaker. After losing the first set, 5-7, Castro rebounded to win the second, 6-3. She then lost in the tiebreaker, 10-4. At No. 2, Fisk lost, 7-5, 6-3, to Marker and at No. 4 Matko was defeated (7-5, 6-4), by Jedrzejak.
Maryland 4, Kansas 3
Kansas dropped to 2-1 on the season with a 4-3 loss to Maryland in a non-conference match at Jesse Owens West Recreation Center in Columbus, Ohio, Friday.
The Jayhawks opened the match on a positive note, winning two of the three doubles matches and gaining the first point. The doubles team of freshman Paige Brown and junior Emily Haylock continued its perfection as it defeated Marylands’ Emily DeCamilla and Marta Jedrzejak, 9-7, at No. 2 doubles. At No. 3 doubles, senior Cheryl Mallaiah and freshman Aurelie Bejar defeated Marylands’ Pamela Floro and Chloe Chavardes, 8-4. At No. 1, sophomore twins Courtney and Kristen Steinbock were defeated by the Terrapins’ Delila Cousevic and Emily Marker, 8-6.
The singles matches would prove to the deciding factor in the loss as the Jayhawks won two of the six. Brown won at No. 4 singles, topping Jedrzejak, 6-4, 6-4. At No. 5, Bejar posted a straight-set victory over Chavardes, 6-3, 6-2. The Terrapins’ Cousevic downed Kansas’ Cheryl Mallaiah, 6-1, 6-2 at No. 1 singles. At No. 2, Haylock was defeated by Marker, 6-2, 6-4 and Courtney Steinbock was downed by Floro, 6-3, 6-3 at No. 3 singles. At No. 6 and the deciding factor in the match, Maryland freshman Emily DeCamilla defeated Kansas’ senior Christi Wagenaar in a three-set match, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
IN THE CONFERENCE
The Buckeyes are 1-0 in the Big Ten Conference after topping Penn State at home, 4-3, Jan. 27. The match marked the only league action for Ohio State this season.
AT THE HELM
Chuck Merzbacher is in his sixth season at the helm. He has enjoyed much success since becoming the head man at OSU, compiling a 79-57 record. Under the guidance of Merzbacher the program has sent the team, a singles player and a doubles tandem to the NCAA Championships the past three years. 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.
A MILESTONE
The win over Penn State marked the 75th victory for head coach Chuck Merzbacher at the helm of the Buckeyes. He is the fastest in Buckeye history to reach 75 wins. For his career, spanning more than 11 years, he is 210-119.
WELCOME TO THE CLUB
Lindsay Williams posted two wins over the weekend to reach the 10-win mark for the season.
ONE STREAK OVER – ANOTHER REMAINS
The Buckeyes lost their first doubles match of the spring against Maryland. However, the squad still has not lost the doubles point in any of its first eight matches. The squad now is 23-1 in doubles matches this spring. Michelle Matko and Lindsay Williams are the only tandem to compete together in all eight matches.
STEADY
Perhaps the most steady Buckeye doubles team is the duo of Michelle Matko and Lindsay Williams. The two competed in all three tournaments together and recorded an overall record of 5-3. They are 8-0 in the spring season for an overall record of 12-3. In the fall, one of their losses came to teammates Monica Rincon and Erica Fisk.
HOME COOKING
The Buckeyes defend their home turf well. They are off to a perfect 8-0 start this year, continuing their success at home. Last year the squad was 7-3 when playing at home and was a perfect 11-0 in 1999-00. Since the 1999-00 season OSU is 26-3 when playing in Columbus.
WINNERS EVERYWHERE
OSU has won 39-of-48 singles matches it has competed in, with a number of players playing at a number of positions. Monica Rincon, Sadhaf Pervez and Michelle Matko all have won matches at No. 1 this year. Michelle Matko and Lindsay Williams are the only Buckeyes to play in all eight team matches.
THE LEADER
Sophomore Erica Fisk leads the Buckeyes with a record of 15-5, including a mark of 5-1 at No. 2 singles in the spring.
PERFECT – OR CLOSE TO IT
The Buckeyes have not lost a match at the No. 1, or No. 5 singles spots this spring, going a perfect 8-0 at each. They are close to perfect at No. 2 and No. 3, going 7-1 at each.
DOUBLE FIGURES
Five Buckeyes – Erica Fisk, Meaghan Colville, Sadhaf Pervez, Michelle Matko and Lindsay Williams – have posted double-digit wins in doubles this season. Pervez is first with 16 wins, followed by Colville with 15. Matko and Williams are tied with 14 and Fisk has 13.
DOUBLE FIGURES PART TWO
Six Buckeyes – Erica Fisk, Michelle Matko, Sadhaf Pervez, Monica Rincon and Lindsay Williams – all have posted 10 or more singles wins this season. The team is led by Fisk’s 15 victories overall this year, with Rincon ranking second with 13.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Monica Rincon’s 89 career wins place her second on OSU’s all-time singles wins list. Oct. 28 at the ITA Midwest Regional Tournament, Rincon picked up her 81st and 82nd career win, catapulting her ahead of Maria Olazagatsti (1977-79, 81-20) into second place. OSU’s all-time singles wins leader is Kristy Dascoli, who finished her career (1998-01) with 104 wins.
NEXT UP FOR THE BUCKEYES
OSU stays on the road, traveling to Indiana to take on Notre Dame and DePaul in South Bend, Ind. The Buckeyes will face the Irish March 2 and DePaul March 3.
BUCKEYES ONLINE
Learn more about women’s tennis and OSU’s 34 other varsity sports at the athletic department’s official Web site, ohiostatebuckeyes.com
Omni Hotels Collegiate Tennis Rankings Administered by the ITA (released Feb. 20) Team Votes 1. Georgia (7-0) 600 2. Vanderbilt (14-1) 590 3. Stanford (6-1) 580 4. Duke (6-1) 560 5. Florida (1-0) 559 6. Wake Forest (5-1) 555 7. Arizona State (3-0) 540 8. Tennessee (7-3) 539 9. Texas (3-0) 537 10. North Carolina (6-1) 533 11. UCLA (6-0) 511 12. Washington (6-1) 512 13. Northwestern (5-3) 510 14. California (4-0) 497 15. USC (4-3) 491 16. Kentucky (8-1) 480 17. Fresno State (3-3) 474 18. Texas A&M (6-1) 470 19. William & Mary (7-0) 451 20. Notre Dame (4-5) 450 21. Baylor (4-2) 438 22. TCU (6-2) 420 23. Oklahoma State (2-3) 419 24. Alabama (5-1) 418 25. Miami (Fla.) (6-0) 406 35. Ohio State (8-0) 324 source: www.itatennis.com
