Women’s Tennis Closes Out Regular Season with Three Big Ten Matches in Columbus – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/18/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
April 18, 2007
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Columbus, Ohio – The No. 43-ranked Ohio State women’s tennis team (17-7, 5-2 Big Ten) closes out the regular season with three home Big Ten matches this week. The Buckeyes will take on No. 7 Northwestern (16-4, 8-0 Big Ten) at 2 p.m. Wednesday in a rescheduled match.
This weekend, Ohio State will host No. 25 Michigan (13-5, 7-1 Big Ten) at 11 a.m. Saturday and Penn State (9-10, 3-5 Big Ten) at 11 a.m. Sunday.
All three matches are scheduled for Stickney Tennis Center. In the event of inclement weather, they will be moved indoors to Jesse Owens West Tennis Center.
CSN, Columbus Sports Network, is scheduled to broadcast the Buckeyes’ match vs. Michigan on a tape-delayed basis.
THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES
This weekend, the Buckeyes’ three seniors – Ciara Finucane, Kristin Messmer and Sonia Ruzimovsky – will be honored.
Messmer and Ruzimovsky are completing their fourth years with the squad and have been a part of 51 wins. Finucane is in her second full year as a Buckeye after transferring from Georgia Southern prior to her junior season and has been a part of 30 Buckeye dual-match victories.
IN THE RANKINGS
Ohio State is ranked a season-high 43rd in the Fila ITA Rankings released Tuesday. The Buckeyes entered the rankings March 27 at No. 46, moved to No. 48 the following week and held down the No. 50 spot in the rankings released last week. Ohio State downed then-No. 16 Wichita State and then-No. 51 Minnesota each by 4-3 scores the week prior to entering the rankings.
It is the highest ranking since the 2004 squad ended the year ranked 41st. The Buckeyes’ ranking March 27 was the first time Ohio State was ranked since holding down the No. 73 spot April 11, 2006.
A BUCKEYE BRIEF
Ohio State is 17-7 this season and enters the match vs. Northwestern on a three-match winning streak.
The squad is 5-2 in Big Ten play, with wins over Minnesota (4-3), Wisconsin (7-0), Michigan State (5-2), Purdue (5-2) and Illinois (4-3) and losses to Iowa (7-0) and Indiana (6-1).
RACKING THEM UP
The Buckeyes have 17 wins this season, the most wins for the squad since the 2002 team ended the year 19-7, setting the program record for wins in a season. The 17 wins are the fourth-highest mark in a single season in program history, behind the 1983 and 2000 teams who had 18 wins each and the 19 wins by the 2002 squad.
AHEAD OF THE PACK
Leading the Buckeyes in overall singles wins this season is freshman Christina Keesey with 22. Sophomore Julie Voss is second with 21 wins, followed by freshman Ally Mueller with 20.
In the dual season, Keesey and Voss have a team-best 15 wins, followed by Mueller with 14.
In doubles, senior Sonia Ruzimovsky has a team-high 20 wins, followed by senior Kristin Messmer and junior Caitlin O’Keefe with 19 each.
The doubles tandem of O’Keefe and Ruzimovsky leads the squad with 18 wins this year.
LAST TIME OUT
The Buckeyes were 2-0 last weekend, winning road matches at Purdue (5-2) and Illinois (4-3) Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Against the Boilermakers, the Buckeyes lost the doubles point but rebounded to win five singles matches, including three three-set matches, for the victory. The Buckeyes won the doubles point and the Nos. 4-6 singles matches in their win vs. the Illini.
Northwestern played three matches in three days last weekend, posting 5-2 home wins over Notre Dame, Minnesota and Iowa.
Michigan is coming off a 6-1 victory over Michigan State in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Penn State won at home against Michigan State last weekend, 5-2.
CLUTCH
Senior Sonia Ruzimovsky clinched both of the Buckeyes’ Big Ten road wins last weekend with three-set victories at the No. 4 singles spot. Against Purdue, she rallied after losing the second set to beat Cigdem Duru, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 and post the Buckeyes’ fourth point for the victory in their 5-2 win. (The two remaining matches on court also were in a third set.)
Against Illinois, Ruzimovsky came from a set down to beat Kristina Minor, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, and clinch the Buckeyes’ 4-3 win. She also paired with Caitlin O’Keefe at No. 2 doubles for a victory over Shivani Dave and Alejandra MezaCuadra, as the Buckeyes opened the match with the doubles point, winning 2-of-3 matches.
SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN
Northwestern, ranked seventh nationally, enters the match 16-4 on the year and 8-0 in the Big Ten with wins over Wisconsin (7-0), Michigan (5-2), Penn State (7-0), Illinois (7-0), Purdue (7-0), Minnesota (5-2) and Iowa (5-2).
The Wildcats have three ranked singles players, as well as two ranked doubles teams. Georgia Rose is 15-1 at the No. 1 position this spring and is ranked 11th in the nation. Samantha Murray is 11-6 at No. 2 and holds down the 38th position. Lauren Lui is ranked 119th and is 11-5 at No. 4.
In doubles, the tandem of Rose and Alexis Prousis is ranked seventh and is 13-3 at No. 1. The No. 3 team of Nazlie Ghazal and Keri Robison is 60th in the NCAA and 7-2 this spring.
Claire Pollard, a 1989 graduate of Mississippi State, is in her ninth year at the helm of the Wildcats. She has a school record of 200-47 and has led Northwestern to eight-consecutive Big Ten titles.
The Buckeyes are 5-25 all-time against Northwestern. Last season, the Buckeyes lost on the road to the Wildcats, 7-0. The last meeting in Columbus was April 23, 2005, a 7-0 NU win. OSU’s last win against Northwestern was April 13, 2003 in Columbus (4-3).
SCOUTING MICHIGAN
The Wolverines, ranked 25th nationally, are 13-5 this season and enter the weekend on a 10-match winning streak. Michigan is 7-1 in the Big Ten, with the lone loss to Northwestern (5-2) and wins over Wisconsin (7-0), Penn State (5-2), Minnesota (7-0), Iowa (6-1), Purdue (6-1), Illinois (7-0) and Michigan State (6-1).
The Wolverines have two ranked singles players. Jenny Kuehn is 91st nationally and is 8-5 at the No. 1 singles position this year and 17-11 overall. No. 95 Chisako Sugiyamama is 10-3 at No. 2 and 27-6 on the year to lead the squad in wins. In doubles, Kuehn and Sugiyama are 9-1 at No. 1, while Kara Delicata and Tania Mahtani are 8-1 at No. 2.
Amanda Augustus, a 1999 graduate of California, is in her first year as the head coach of the Wolverines. She spent last season as an assistant coach at Michigan, helping the squad to a 17-8 mark (8-2 Big Ten) and to trips to the Big Ten Championship final and the NCAA Championship second round.
Ohio State is 13-31 all-time against Michigan. Under head coach Chuck Merzbacher, the Buckeyes are 5-7 against the Wolverines (4-6 regular season). Ohio State is looking to stop a three-match losing streak to Michigan.
The Buckeyes lost to Michigan in Columbus last season, 6-1. The squad’s last win over the Wolverines was a 4-3 victory in Columbus in 2003.
SCOUTING PENN STATE
Penn State is 9-10 this weekend and stands 3-5 in the Big Ten. The squad has downed Wisconsin (5-2), Illinois (4-3) and Michigan State (5-2) and lost to Northwestern (7-0), Michigan (5-2), Iowa (5-2), Minnesota (4-3) and Purdue (4-3) in conference action. The Nittany Lions will take on Indiana in Bloomington, Ind., Saturday before traveling to Columbus to meet the Buckeyes.
Dorothy Dohanics leads Penn State with 14 dual-match wins this season, including a 10-4 mark at No. 5. Lauren McCarthy has 13 wins in the spring and a 10-3 record at No. 6. Andreea Niculesco is 4-12 for the Nittany Lions at No. 1 in the spring season.
Buffy Baker, a 1992 graduate of Florida State, is in her eighth season as the head coach of the Nittany Lions. She has a school ledger of 69-101.
All-time against Penn State, the Buckeyes are 20-16. Under head coach Chuck Merzbacher, the Buckeyes are 10-2 overall vs. the Nittany Lions and 9-1 in regular-season action.
The Buckeyes beat Penn State, 6-1, in Columbus last season.
IN THE CONFERENCE
Northwestern remains the only unbeaten team in the Big Ten this season (8-0). Indiana and Michigan are tied for second with 7-1 ledgers and will meet Sunday. Ohio state is in fourth place (5-2), followed by Iowa (5-3).
This weekend, Ohio State and Indiana host Michigan and Indiana, Michigan State goes up against Wisconsin and Northwestern, and Minnesota and Iowa both will host Illinois and Purdue.
This marks the last weekend of regular-season play in the Big Ten. The conference tournament will be held next weekend (April 26-29) in Minneapolis.
IN THE RECORD BOOKS
Eight of the Buckeyes’ 15 wins this season have been 7-0 shutouts, tying the program record for shutouts in a season. The 1978-79 squad had eight shutout victories in 18 matches that season, posting a 13-5 overall mark.
This season, the squad opened the year with three-consecutive whitewashes (vs. Bowling Green, vs. Cincinnati, at West Virginia) and blanked Miami (Ohio) Feb. 11, Eastern Kentucky Feb. 25, Wisconsin March 4, Florida Gulf Coast March 19 and Wright State April 9.
IN THEIR 20s
Buckeye freshman Christina Keesey has a team-best 22 wins this spring. She beat Michigan State’s Pascale Schnitzer for her 20th overall win of the campaign.
Last season, Angela DiPastina and Kristin Messmer ended the year tied for the team lead in wins with 20 each.
Julie Voss was 2-0 over the weekend against Purdue and Illinois and now has 21 victories this season. Ally Mueller posted her 20th win of the year when she beat Brooke Beier of Purdue last Saturday.
IN THE BOOKS
Senior Sonia Ruzimovsky now has 60 career doubles wins to rank 13th (tied) in program history.
Ruzimovsky has a career singles mark of 61-45. Her winning percentage of .575 is 15th all-time in OSU history. Her 61 singles wins are just outside the Top 15 in program history.
Senior Kristin Messmer has 62 singles victories to tie for 15th with Laura Schubert (1976-79). Messmer has 56 doubles wins to sit just outside the Top 15, one behind 15th-place Maria Olazagasti (1977-79).
WHAT A WAY TO WIN
Ohio State has two 4-3 victories over ranked teams this year, downing then-No. 16 Wichita State March 19 in Fort Myers, Fla., and then-No. 51 Minnesota March 23 in Minneapolis. In both matches, a Buckeye won a three-set match to clinch the victory.
The Buckeyes used the doubles point and three come-from-behind three-set singles wins to defeat Wichita State, 4-3. Against the Shockers, freshman Christina Keesey won at No. 3 singles to lift the Buckeyes to the win.
Against Minnesota, the Buckeyes won four singles matches to come from behind and win after dropping the doubles point. Against the Gophers, sophomore Julie Voss came from a set down at No. 6 singles to secure the victory.
BEATING THE BEST
The win over Wichita State was Ohio State’s first victory over a team ranked in the Top 20 since downing No. 20 Illinois, 4-2, May 1, 2004, in the Big Ten championship. The Buckeyes also beat No. 16 William and Mary that season (W 4-3, Feb. 29, 2004).
KEESEY HONORED
Ohio State freshman Christina Keesey was named the Big Ten Women’s Tennis Player of the Week, the conference announced March 21. Keesey posted two singles wins for the Buckeyes March 19, as the team downed No. 16 Wichita State (4-3) and Florida Gulf Coast (7-0) in Fort Myers, Fla.
Keesey, from Northfield, Minn., (Northfield High School) was 2-0 for the Buckeyes at No. 3 singles. Against No. 16-ranked Wichita State, Keesey clinched the Buckeyes’ upset victory, coming back from a set down to beat Lenore Lazaroiu, 5-7, 6-3, 7-5. The match was tied at 3-all when Keesey posted the win, leading the Buckeyes to their first win over a Top 16 opponent since downing No. 16-ranked William and Mary Feb. 29, 2004. Keesey closed out the day with a straight-set, 6-1, 6-1, victory over Krista Polulak of No. 11-ranked (Division II) Florida Gulf Coast.
Keesey is the first Buckeye to be honored by the league this season and the first since Lindsay Williams in February 2004.
A KEY
The Buckeyes have won the doubles point in 14 of their 17 wins this season and in 15 of their 22 matches.
Against Minnesota, Ohio State lost the doubles point, but won four singles matches for the win. At both Purdue and Michigan State the Buckeyes were swept in doubles but went on to win five singles matches to record the victory.
THE ROOKS MAKE AN IMPACT
The two Buckeye freshmen, Ally Mueller and Christina Keesey, both have played in all 24 matches for the Buckeyes so far this spring. Keesey is 15-8 in singles and 5-3 in doubles. Mueller is 14-9 in singles and 8-11 in doubles in the dual season.
The freshmen tandem paired up for three doubles matches last week, going 1-2.
FACING THE NATION’S BEST
The Buckeyes will take on 13 teams currently ranked in the most recent Intercollegiate Tennis Association national poll this season, including Top 16 teams Notre Dame (2nd/L 7-0), Northwestern (9th) and William & Mary (13th/L 6-1). In addition, Ohio State has faced or will go up against No. 25 Michigan, No. 27 Indiana (L 6-1), No. 30 Auburn (L 6-1), No. 34 Wichita State (W 4-3), No. 50 Purdue (W 5-2), No. 56 Minnesota (W 4-3), No. 58 Virginia Tech (L 5-2), No. 59 Iowa (L 7-0), No. 63 Marshall (L 5-2) and No. 68 Louisville (W 5-2).
AMONG THE BEST
Chuck Merzbacher, Ohio State head coach, has the eighth-ranked recruiting class for 2007, according to rankings compiled by tennisrecruiting.net. The duo of Paloma Escobedo and Cameron Hubbs, who signed NCAA National Letters of Intent in November, will join the Buckeye roster in the fall of 2007.
A panel of junior tennis experts, including journalists, tournament directors, referees and ranking chairmen from across the country, voted on the recruiting classes.
Escobedo, a native of Houston, Texas, has been ranked as high as 21st nationally among recruits for 2007 and currently is ranked 29th. She is ranked fourth among the gulf states and third in the state of Texas. Escobedo was a member of the Texas Fed Cup team who went undefeated in August at the 2006 UTSA Girl’s 18 Fed Cup Championships and posted a 5-2 record in the same month at the 2006 Girls 18 and Under Super Nationals in San Jose, Calif.
Hubbs, from Omaha, Neb., has been ranked as high as No. 60 in 2007 recruiting lists. She currently is ranked second in the plains states and is first in Nebraska. She is a three-time state champion at Omaha Westside High School. Hubbs is a standout in doubles and has been ranked as high as seventh nationally.
UP NEXT
The Buckeyes will travel to Minneapolis for the Big Ten tournament April 26-29.
