Buckeyes Open Spring Slate at Home vs. West Virginia, Cleveland State – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Jan. 28, 2015
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 31 Ohio State women’s tennis team is set to open the spring season with a doubleheader Thursday at the Varsity Tennis Center in Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes will host West Virginia at 9 a.m., followed by Cleveland State at 2 p.m.
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS AND VIKINGS
The West Virginia University women’s tennis team opened the 2015 spring season at the Pitt Nishan Vartabedian Invitational, compiling a 13-5 combined overall record at the event. The Mountaineers went 3-18 last season and return four players, including Hailey Barrett and Ikttesh Chahal who each earned a team-best 10 singles wins last season.
Last season, Cleveland State captured its first Horizon League regular season title with a 12-12 overall record and 7-1 conference ledger. The Viking return five letterwinners, including reigning Horizon League Player and Freshman of the Year Lauren Golick and junior Ellen Folkers who is ranked No. 106 in the ITA singles poll. Cleveland State lost its home opener to Northern Illinois, 4-3, Sunday.
IN THE RANKINGS
The No. 31 Buckeyes are one of eight ranked B1G squads in the latest team poll released Jan. 20, joined by Michigan (16), Northwestern (17), Purdue (40), Illinois (T46), Indiana (49), Maryland (68) and Minnesota (71).
Ohio State also received one doubles and a pair of singles rankings in the first ITA poll of the spring season released Jan. 6. Freshman Olivia Sneed earned the No. 71 spot, while fellow freshman Anna Sanford checked in at No. 86 of the singles poll. The sophomore duo of Gabriella De Santis and Sandy Niehaus was ranked 26th in the ITA doubles poll. The next singles and doubles polls are slated to be released Feb. 10.
FALL FLASHBACK
After competing in four events during fall, the Buckeyes are looking to continue their strong momentum into the spring. Sanford led the Buckeyes with eight singles wins in the fall campaign, while the No. 26 tandem of De Santis and Niehaus went 7-3 in the fall slate, including a quarterfinal run at the 2014 USTA/ITA Midwest Regional Oct. 17-19. The pair also advanced to the main draw of the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships Oct.1, becoming the first doubles team to represent Ohio State in the main draw of the championship since Monica Rincon and Erica Fisk in 2001. Prior to their second-round loss, the pair had amassed an 18-match win streak.
The Buckeyes also enjoyed a successful run at the ITA Midwest Regional, advancing two doubles team and one singles player to quarterfinal action. De Santis and Niehaus along with Sanford and O’Neill earned spots in the quarterfinals of the doubles main draw, while Kowase advanced to the singles draw quarterfinals.
The Scarlet and Gray went 5-1 in singles and 9-7 in doubles at Baylor Invitational in Waco, Texas, and compiled a 13-2 singles and 5-2 doubles ledger over the course of the weekend at the Tennessee Fall Invite.
COHEN AND TAYLOR JOIN COACHING STAFF?
Adam Cohen joined the Ohio State women’s tennis team as assistant coach, third-year head coach Melissa Schaub announced Sept. 10. In 2014, Cohen led the Binghamton men’s tennis team to its seventh-consecutive America East conference title in his eight years with the program. Sarah Taylor joins the coaching staff as a volunteer assistant coach. Taylor spent six years on the WTA Tour, ranking as high as No. 68 in the world.
2013-14 REWIND
? The Buckeyes earned one of 33 at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, appearing for the first time since the 2010 season and marking the 11th appearance all-time.
? The Buckeyes went 19-9, one shy of the program record 20 wins set by the 2010 NCAA tournament squad.
? Ohio State finished third in the B1G with a record of 8-3 in conference play. It was Ohio State’s highest finish since the team tied for third in 2011, while the eight conference wins were the most since 2006.
? The squad set a program record with 11 shutout victories.
? Ohio State went a perfect 12-0 on its home court in the spring.
? Gabriella De Santis was named the B1G Freshman of the Year, becoming the second Buckeye in program history to receive the honor and the first since Kristy Dascoli in 1998. She was also the first to be named the ITA Midwest Rookie of the Year.
? Sandy Niehaus’ 32 singles wins are second all-time for season singles wins in program history.
UP NEXT?
The Buckeyes will spend the month of February on the road competing in five matches and the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic in Montgomery, Ala., They kick off their road slate Feb. 1 vs. Arizona State in Tempe, Arizona, and will return to the Varsity Tennis Center Sunday, March 1 to take on Baylor at 11 a.m.
