Ohio State
ITA Midwest Regional
Buckeyes Kowase and Sanford Capture ITA Midwest Regional Doubles Title – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/26/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Oct. 26, 2015
COLUMBUS, Ohio – At the ITA Midwest Regional Championships Monday, the Ohio State tandem of junior Miho Kowase and sophomore Anna Sanford became the first Buckeye duo to win a regional doubles title. Kowase and Sanford won in a tiebreaker against their Buckeye teammates Ferny Angeles Paz and Sandy Niehaus in the championship match in Ann Arbor, Mich.
With the win, Kowase and Sanford earn a berth in the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships, set for Nov. 12-15 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.
In the doubles final, each team held its first game before Angeles Paz/Niehaus got an early break to go up 2-1. Kowase/Sanford responded by winning the next four games for a 5-2 lead. The teams each held their next game to make it a 6-3 advantage for Kowase/Sanford. Angeles Paz/Niehaus then went on a three-game run, breaking at 4-6 to get back on serve (5-6) and then holding, despite facing break points, to even the match at six games all. Each team held in its next game, sending the championship match to a tiebreak. Kowase/Sanford won the final four points to claim the tiebreak, 7-3, and the match, 8-7 (3).
The doubles teams were the first from Ohio State to reach the regional doubles championship match since Kristy Dascoli and Monica Rincon in 2000.
Angeles Paz and Niehaus also competed in the singles quarterfinals Monday. Angeles Paz fell in three sets to Lauren Chypyha of Wisconsin, a 5-8 seed. After dropping the first set 6-0, Angeles Paz won the second in a tiebreak, 10-8, sending it to a third set, which went to Chypyha, 6-3. Niehaus, a No. 13-16 seed, lost in straight sets to No. 5-8 seed Brienne Minor of Michigan, 6-3, 6-1.
Up next, the Buckeyes are scheduled to travel to Knoxville, Tenn., for the Tennessee Fall Invite Friday through Sunday.
ITA Midwest Regional Championship
Oct. 22-26
Varsity Tennis Center, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Ohio State results
Thursday, Oct. 22
Qualifying Singles First Round
Nicole Flower (OSU) def. Grace Tapak (Illinois), 6-4, 6-2
Qualifying Singles Second Round
Nicole Flower (OSU) def. Jackie Altansarnai (Illinois Chicago), 6-1, 6-2
Friday, Oct. 23
Qualifying Singles Round of 16
Melina Lyubimirova (WMU) def. Nicole Flower (OSU), 6-3, 6-3
Main Draw Doubles First Round
No. 5-8 Sanford/Kowase (OSU) BYE
No. 5-8 Angeles Paz/Niehaus BYE
Azcui/Fevralev (WMU) def. O’Neill/Ballinger (OSU), 8-7 (6)
Main Draw Doubles Second Round
Sanford/Kowase (OSU) def. Geier/Maksimova (Akron), 8-4
Angeles Paz/Niehaus (OSU) def. Fisher/Sofi, DePaul, 8-4
Consolation Doubles
Kulikovskaya/Slizovskaya (Detroit) def. O’Neill/Ballinger (Ohio State), 8-7 (2)
Saturday, Oct. 24
Doubles Main Draw Round of 16
No. 5-8 Sanford/Kowase (OSU) def. Rischbieth/Or (Northwestern), 8-3
No. 5-8 Angeles Paz/Niehaus (OSU) def. Closs/Miller (Notre Dame), 8-4
Singles Main Draw First Round
Daniela Pedraza Nova (Illinois) def. Grainne O’Neill (OSU) 7-5, 6-4
Ferny Angeles Paz (OSU) def. Brooke Broda (Notre Dame) 6-2, 6-3
No. 13-16 Sandy Niehaus (OSU) BYE
No. 5-8 Miho Kowase (OSU) BYE
No. 5-8 Anna Sanford (OSU) BYE
Singles Main Draw Second Round
No. 13-16 Sandy Niehaus (OSU) def. Daniela Pedraza Nova (Illinois), 6-3, 6-7, 6-4
No. 5-8 Miho Kowase (OSU) def. Mary Closs (Notre Dame), 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
No. 5-8 Anna Sanford (OSU) def. Ines Vias (llinois), 6-1, 6-1
Ferny Angeles Paz (OSU) def. No. 13-16 Patricia Lancranjan (DePaul), 6-2, 6-2
Sunday, Oct. 25
Doubles Main Draw Quarterfinals
No. 5-8 Angeles Paz/Niehaus (OSU) def. No. 4 Ruder-Hook/Minor (Michigan), 8-5
No. 5-8 Sanford/Kowase (OSU) def. No. 3 Kwong/Vias (Illinois), 8-4
Doubles Main Draw Semifinals
No. 5-8 Angeles Paz/Niehaus (OSU) def. No. 2 Rooney/Larner (Northwestern), 8-5
No. 5-8 Sanford/Kowase (OSU) def. Supejova/Martinovska (EMU), 8-6
Singles Main Draw Round of 16
No. 13-16 Sandy Niehaus (OSU) def. No. 1 Quinn Gleason (Notre Dame), 6-3, 6-7, 6-2
No. 9-12 Erin Larner (Northwestern) def. No. 5-8 Miho Kowase (OSU), 6-4, 6-4
No. 9-12 Kate Fahey (Michigan) def. No. 5-8 Anna Sanford (OSU), 3-6, 7-6, 6-1
Ferny Angeles Paz (OSU) def. No. 3 Alexis Casati (Illinois), 6-3, 7-6
Monday, Oct. 26
Doubles Main Draw Championship
No. 5-8 Sanford/Kowase (OSU) def. No. 5-8 Angeles Paz/Niehaus (OSU), 8-7 (3)
Singles Main Draw Quarterfinals
No. 5-8 Brienne Minor (Michigan) def. No. 13-16 Sandy Niehaus (OSU), 6-3, 6-1
Lauren Chypyha (Wisconsin) def. Ferny Angeles Paz (OSU), 6-0, 6-7 (8), 6-3
