Women’s Tennis Puts Big Ten Unbeaten String on the Line at Purdue and Illinois – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/2/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
April 2, 2003
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women’s tennis team will continue Big Ten play on the road against Purdue at 1 p.m. Saturday in West Lafayette, Ind., and Illinois at 10 a.m. EST Sunday in Champaign, Ill. No. 53 Ohio State is on top of the Big Ten standings with a record of 4-0 in the conference and is 10-5 overall.
SCOUTING PURDUE
No. 60 Purdue is 6-9 on the season and 1-3 in Big Ten play; however, the Boilermakers have faced eight ranked teams including No. 3 California and No. 4 Duke (suffering 6-1 in both matches). Purdue’s best victory of the season came over No. 43 Missouri, 4-3, in the sixth match of the season. The Boilermakers recorded their only conference victory against Wisconsin, 4-3. Ohio State and Purdue have a common opponent in Notre Dame where OSU fell, 5-2, and PU was defeated, 6-1. The Boilermakers were most recently defeated by No. 17 Northwestern, 6-1. Purdue is 3-1 with the home court advantage.
TOP BOILERMAKERS
At No. 1 singles for the Boilermakers is junior Gretchen Haynor, who played the first five matches of the season at No. 2. She is 7-15 on the season and 3-7 at the No. 1 spot. Haynor has faced eight ranked opponents this season but has yet to defeat one.
Sophomore Amy Walgenbach has seen action at every spot this season except No. 1 and has settled into the No. 2 position for the past five matches. Walgenbach is 18-11 on the season and 10-4 in dual play. She is 5-2 against ranked opponents and 3-1 in Big Ten action. Her best victory came against Duke where she defeated No. 60 Julia Smith, 6-4, 6-3, at the No. 3 spot.
PURDUE HEAD COACH IANDOLO
Head coach Mat Iandolo is in his 12th year at the helm of the Boilermaker women’s tennis program. In his tenure at Purdue, Iandolo has turned his team into a national contender. In 1998, he helped the Boilermakers collect two upsets over Top 30-ranked opponents, post their best conference record ever (8-2), finish fourth in the Big Ten (tying Purdue’s highest finish ever, also 1995) and earn a final national ranking of 44th. For his efforts in that outstanding season, Iandolo garnered Big Ten Coach of the Year honors. During his tenure, Iandolo has led three teams to NCAA bids (1995, 1996 and 1998).
OSU VS. PUIRDUE
The Buckeyes have a 19-15 advantage over the Boilermakers in the all-time dual record. Ohio State and Purdue last met April 13, 2002, where Ohio State’s Michelle Matko won a three-set match at No. 4 singles to clinch a 4-3 victory for the Buckeyes at the Varsity Courts in West Lafayette, Ind. After dropping the doubles point, Ohio State rallied to record victories at Nos. 1, 3, 4 and 5 singles.
SCOUING ILLINOIS
No. 24 Illinois is 10-4 on the season and 3-1 in Big Ten play. The Illini’s only conference loss came to No. 17 Northwestern with a 7-0 decision. Illinois is 4-4 vs. ranked opponents including a 4-3 upset over No. 4 Duke at home Feb. 23. The Illini have won six-of-seven matches decided by one point. Ohio State and Illinois both recorded 4-3 victories over No. 40 Baylor. The Illini will face No. 27 Notre Dame before they meet Ohio State. Illinois is 3-2 at home.
TOP ILLINI
No. 66 junior Jennifer McGaffigan plays at No. 1 singles and is 16-9 on the season and 9-5 in dual play. She is 2-7 vs. ranked opponents and 2-2 in the Big Ten. McGaffigan’s biggest win came at the No. 2 spot in a three-set, tiebreaker match vs. No. 19 Amanda Johnson of Duke, 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(3).
No. 106 junior Tiffany Eklov mainly occupies the No. 2 spot but has seen time at Nos. 1 and 3 as well. She is 18-10 on the season, 8-6 in dual play and 3-1 in Big Ten action. Eklov is 2-4 vs. ranked opponents including a three-set victory over No. 38 Liina Suurvarik of Illinois State (6-4, 2-6, 6-4) and a straight-set loss to No. 2 Kelly McCain of Duke (6-3, 6-2).
ILLINOIS HEAD COACH LAMA
Coach Sujay Lamais in his fifth year at Illinois. Under his direction, the program recorded its first NCAA tournament victory in May 2001, its first Big Ten Freshman of the Year (McGaffifan) and 19student-athletes have earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
OSU VS. IU
The Buckeyes only have won 9-28 matches vs. the Ilini. Ohio State defeated Illinois April 20, 2002, 5-2, at to improve a home win streak to 14. The Buckeyes opened the match by claiming the doubles point and added four more points by recording victories at Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4.
NEXT UP
The Buckeyes will return home fro a three-match homestead vs. No. 15 Kentucky at 2:30 p.m. April 9, Wisconsin at 0 a.m. April 12 No. 17 Northwestern at 11 a.m. April 13. The matches will be held at the Stickney Tennis Centers except in the case of inclement weather where the games will move indoors to the Jesse Owens West Recreational Center.
