Ohio State
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Michigan (Championship)
B1G Tourney Champs! Buckeyes Top Wolverines 4-2 – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/1/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
May 1, 2016
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 5-ranked Ohio State women’s tennis team captured its first Big Ten Tournament title, defeating No. 11-ranked Michigan, 4-2, in the championship match Sunday in East Lansing, Mich. The Buckeyes, the outright Big Ten regular season champions, are now 28-2 this season and have won their last 13 matches.
“This is such a good feeling right now,” Melissa Schaub, Ohio State head coach, said. “I am so proud of the team and what they have accomplished. Today is the reason why you put in all of the long hours. For them to get to run out and celebrate is a feeling they will never forget. They deserve this.”
Ohio State receives the league’s automatic bid into the NCAA Championship. The field will be announced at 5 p.m. Tuesday on NCAA.com. The Buckeyes will be making the 13th NCAA appearance in program history and the third in a row.
The Buckeyes and Wolverines faced off inside. The Buckeyes clinched the doubles point with a tiebreaker win on court two after the teams split the matches on courts one and three. In singles, Ohio State’s Anna Sanford and Olivia Sneed won in straight sets for a 3-0 Buckeye advantage. The Wolverines claimed the next two matches to cut Ohio State’s lead to one (3-2). On court one, Francesca Di Lorenzo, who had won the first set, prevailed in a second set tiebreaker to clinch the team title. BTN will televise the championship match at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 10.
In doubles, Michigan’s 16th-ranked duo of Brienne Minor and Mira Ruder-Hook posted a 6-0 win on court one over the Buckeyes’ No. 8-ranked team of Sanford and junior Miho Kowase. On court three, Buckeyes sophomore Olivia Sneed and Di Lorenzo won 6-2 over Ronit Yurovsky and Teona Velehorschi. The Buckeye tandem has a 23-2 ledger this spring.
On court two, Buckeye juniors Sandy Niehaus and Gabriella De Santis, ranked 56th, prevailed in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (5) to give the Buckeyes the doubles point. The Buckeye duo is 11-0 this spring.
Sanford, ranked 110th, put the Buckeyes up 2-0, dispatching No. 65-ranked Fahey, 6-3, 6-0, on court two. No. 111 Sneed was next off, topping Velehorschi in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, for a 3-0 Buckeye lead.
Michigan won the next two matches to draw within one. On court four, Alex Najarian topped Kowase, 6-2, 6-4, ending Kowase’s winning streak at 17. On court five, junior Ferny Angeles Paz lost to Ruder-Hook, 6-3, 6-2.
On court one against No. 16-ranked Yurovsky, No. 5 Di Lorenzo won the first set, 6-2. Yurovsky came from behind in the second and the set went to a tiebreaker. The Buckeye freshman prevailed in the tiebreaker, 7-3, to clinch the match and the Buckeyes’ championship. Di Lorenzo leas the Buckeyes with 33 wins this season, the second-most victories in a single campaign in program history, and has won her last 12 matches.
On court three, De Santis rallied after dropping the first set against No. 18-ranked Minor to force a third. Play was halted with the third set tied at two.
Ohio State was making its third appearance in the Big Ten Tournament final. The Buckeyes lost to Northwestern in 2004 and Michigan last year.
Michigan vs Ohio State
May 01, 2016 at East Lansing, Mich.
(MSU Indoor Tennis Facility)
#5 Ohio State 4, #11 Michigan 2
Singles competition
1. #5 Francesca Di Lorenzo (OSU) def. #16 Ronit Yurovsky (UM) 6-2, 7-6 (7-3)
2. #110 Anna Sanford (OSU) def. #65 Kate Fahey (UM) 6-3, 6-0
3. #106 Gabriella De Santis (OSU) vs. #18 Brienne Minor (UM) 2-6, 6-4, 2-2, unfinished
4. Alex Najarian (UM) def. Miho Kowase (OSU) 6-2, 6-4
5. Mira Ruder-Hook (UM) def. Ferny Angeles Paz (OSU) 6-3, 6-2
6. #111 Olivia Sneed (OSU) def. Teona Velehorschi (UM) 6-2, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. #16 Brienne Minor/Mira Ruder-Hook (UM) def. #8 Anna Sanford/Miho Kowase (OSU) 6-0
2. #56 Sandy Niehaus/Gabriella De Santis (OSU) def. Kate Fahey/Alex Najarian (UM) 7-6 (7-5)
3. Olivia Sneed/Francesca Di Lorenzo (OSU) def. Ronit Yurovsky/Teona Velehorschi (UM) 6-2
Match Notes:
Michigan 20-6, 10-1 B1G; National ranking #11
Ohio State 28-2, 11-0 B1G; National ranking #5
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (2,6,4,5,1)
Big Ten Women’s Tennis Tournament – Championship Match
Ohio State wins first B1G Tournament title
Ohio State No. 1 seed, Michigan No. 3 seed
T-2:33 A-304
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
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#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,3,2
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
2,6,4,5,1
