Blaz Rola Nabs Big Ten Athlete of the Week Laurels – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/21/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Feb. 21, 2012
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Sophomore Blaz Rola was named the Big Ten Athlete of the Week Tuesday after an impressive showing at the ITA National Team Indoors Championship where the third-ranked Ohio State men’s tennis team advanced to the championship match. As the nation’s 12th-ranked player, Rola competed in eight matches (four singles and four doubles) against teams ranked Nos. 14, 6, 2, 1, respectively, in the latest ITA team rankings. The Ptuj, Slovenia, native compiled a 6-2 record against six ranked opponents, leading Ohio State to the championship match.
The award is his fourth of the season and fifth of his career. He also earned the accolades during the fall season on Oct. 12 and Nov. 9, sharing the award with doubles partner Chase Buchanan. Rola also brought home the award on Oct. 19.
Rola beat No. 48 Daniel Whitehead of Texas 6-0, 6-3 and, alongside partner Buchanan (the No. 1 doubles pair in the country) defeated Soren Hess-Olesen and Alex Hillard 8-2 in doubles, helping Ohio State earn two points vs. No. 14 Texas en route to a 4-0 win. In the quarterfinals, Rola and Buchanan beat the 48th ranked duo of Eric Quigley and Panav Jha 8-5 to pace the Scarlet and Gray to a 4-3 win vs. No. 6 Kentucky and a trip to the semifinals for a second-consecutive season.
Against No. 2 Virginia, Rola clinched the fourth singles point for the Buckeyes after beating Alex Domijan 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 at No. 2 to end the Cavaliers 18-match ITA Team Indoor win streak and snap its 94-match home win streak in one of Ohio State’s biggest program victories.
In the final vs. No. 1 USC, Rola did his part to help out the Buckeyes. With Buchanan at No. 1 doubles, he defeated Steve Johnson and Yannick Hanfmann, the No. 28 ranked tandem, 8-5 to take a 1-0 lead vs. the Trojans. The 2011 Big Ten freshman of the year also would tie the match at 3-3 with a 7-5, 6-3 triumph over No. 18 Ray Sarmiento on court two, but the Buckeyes came up just short to the Trojans, 4-3.
The Buckeyes are back in action this weekend as they host No. 6 Kentucky at 4 p.m. Saturday and No. 17 North Carolina at 5 p.m. Sunday at the Varsity Tennis Center. The match vs. the Wildcats will take place exactly one week from the teams’ matchup this past Saturday in the ITA Team Indoor Championship quarterfinal, where Ohio State left as a 4-3 winner.
