Ohio State
Minnesota
No. 2 Buckeyes Shut Out Minnesota, 7-0 – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/20/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
March 20, 2016
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No.2-ranked Ohio State women’s team (17-2, 3-0 B1G) swept No. 50-ranked Minnesota (10-6, 2-1 B1G), 7-0, Sunday inside the Varsity Tennis Center. The Buckeyes improve to 17-2, while the Gophers fall to 10-6 (2-1 B1G). The Scarlet and Gray remain undefeated in the Big Ten with a 3-0 ledger, winning all three matches 7-0, including a win at Wisconsin Friday.
“We had a really good team effort today,” Melissa Schaub, head coach of the Buckeyes, said. “It was the third match in five days for us with travel in between each match so it was really good for the girls to step up and fight hard. Minnesota is a good team; we were prepared and played well.”
The Buckeyes gained the 1-0 advantage going into singles after claiming victories on all three doubles courts. Anna Sanford notched the first Buckeye singles victory on court two dropping only one game. Sandy Niehaus posted a win on court six quickly followed by Francesca Di Lorenzo on court one to secure the Ohio State victory. Ferny Angeles Paz, Gabriella De Santis and Miho Kowase all tallied straight set wins to sweep the Gophers.
In doubles, Di Lorenzo and sophomore Olivia Sneed shut out the Minnesota team of Caroline Ryba and Julia Courter on court two, 6-0, to open the match. The Buckeye duo remains undefeated this spring with a 17-0 ledger.
The Buckeyes’ No.2-ranked tandem of sophomore Sanford and junior Kowase posted its ninth win in a row, defeating Paula Rincon-Otero and Annemarie Emme on court one, 6-1, to clinch the doubles point for the Scarlet and Gray. On court three, the Buckeye pair of Angeles Paz and junior Sandy Niehaus, ranked 38th, battled back from a three-game deficit to notch a victory over the Gophers’ Mevish Safdar and Caitlyn Merzbacher, 6-4.
In singles, Sanford downed Courter on court two, 6-1, 6-0. No. 91-ranked Niehaus defeated Safdar on court six, 6-2, 6-3. Di Lorenzo, ranked third, notched a 6-2, 6-2 victory over No. 120-ranked Ryba on court one to secure the win for the Buckeyes.
Angles Paz handily won against Camila Vargas Gomez on court five, 6-0, 6-0. De Santis battled through a close second set to defeat Annemarie Emme on court four, 6-2, 7-5. After a tough first set, Kowase breezed through the second to post the final Buckeye victory on court three over Rincon-Otero, 7-5, 6-0. Kowase is on a 10-match winning streak and Angeles Paz, who has a team-best 15 dual match victories, has won each of her last nine decisions.
Up next, the Buckeyes have next weekend before traveling to New Brunswick, N.J., to take on Rutgers at noon April 2. The team will then head to College Park, Md., to face Maryland at noon April 3.
Minnesota vs Ohio State
Mar 20, 2016
at Columbus, Ohio
(Varsity Tennis Center)
#2 Ohio State 7, #50 Minnesota 0
Singles competition 1. #3 Francesca Di Lorenzo (OSU) def. #120 Caroline Ryba (MINN) 6-2, 6-2
2. Anna Sanford (OSU) def. Julia Courter (MINN) 6-1, 6-0
3. Miho Kowase (OSU) def. Paula Rincon-Otero (MINN) 7-5, 6-0
4. Gabriella De Santis (OSU) def. Annemarie Emme (MINN) 6-2, 7-5
5. Ferny Angeles Paz (OSU) def. Camila Vargas Gomez (MINN) 6-0, 6-0
6. #91 Sandy Niehaus (OSU) def. Mehvish Safdar (MINN) 6-2, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. #2 Anna Sanford/Miho Kowase (OSU) def. Annemarie Emme/Paula Rincon-Otero (MINN) 6-3
2. Francesca Di Lorenzo/Olivia Sneed (OSU) def. Caroline Ryba/Julia Courter (MINN) 6-0
3. #38 Ferny Angeles Paz/Sandy Niehaus (OSU) def. Mehvish Safdar/Caitlyn Merzbacher (MINN) 6-4
Match Notes:
Minnesota 10-6, 2-1 B1G; National ranking #50
Ohio State 17-2, 3-0 B1G; National ranking #2
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (2,6,1,5,4,3)
Official: Jerri Banks A-168
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,1,3
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
2,6,1,5,4,3
