No. 4 Buckeyes Take on Georgia Tech in NCAA Round of 16 – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/17/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
May 17, 2016
NCAA Tournament Central
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women’s tennis team heads to Tulsa, Oklahoma this week for the NCAA Championships. The No. 4 seed Buckeyes (30-2), making their first appearance in the Round of 16, will take on Georgia Tech (19-8) at 8 p.m. ET Thursday. Live video and scoring is available online at streamingtennis.com/Tulsa.
The Michael D. Case Tennis Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is serving as the host of the NCAA Championships. All Round of 16 matches will be played Thursday. Quarterfinals are slated for Saturday, with the semifinals Monday and championship match Monday.
Individual Championships Up Next
- Following the NCAA team tournament, singles and doubles championships will be held in Tulsa.
- Buckeye freshman Francesca Di Lorenzo is the No. 3 seed in the singles championship, the first Buckeye selected since 2002. Kristy Dascoli represented Ohio State in 1998, ‘99, ‘00 and ‘01 and Monica Rincon was a qualifier in 2002.
- The doubles tandem of junior Miho Kowase and sophomore Anna Sanford earned an at-large berth into the doubles championship. They are the first Ohio State pair to earn a spot since 2001. Kelly Story and Abigail Villena were the first Buckeyes selected for the national tournament in 1992 and Dascoli received a spot with Briana Harris in 1999 and with Rincon in both 2000 and ‘01.
How the Buckeyes Advanced
- Ohio State, the No. 4 seed, hosted NCAA Tournament matches for the first time last weekend and posted two wins to reach the Round of 16 for the first time.
- The Buckeyes defeated instate foe Youngstown State in the first round, 4-0, winning the doubles point and picking up straight set singles wins from Gabriella De Santis on court two, Ferny Angeles Paz on court four and Olivia Sneed on court six. The trio dropped just three games combined in their wins.
- Ohio State then downed UCLA 4-1 to advance to the Round of 16. The Buckeyes lost the doubles point, splitting the first two matches, with a win on court six by Francesca Di Lorenzo and Sneed, before the Bruins won in a tiebreaker on court two. In singles, Sandy Niehaus tied the match with a 6-3, 6-0 win on court six, followed by a 6-3, 6-1 victory by Miho Kowase on court four. Anna Sanford followed, winning 6-3, 6-4 on court two. Di Lorenzo, ranked third, won a matchup of Top 20 players, downing No. 17 Catherine Harrison, 7-5, 6-3, to clinch the Buckeye win.
Buckeyes in the NCAA Tournament
- Ohio State is making its third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament and the 13th appearance in program history.
- This is the first year Ohio State is a Top 16 seed and the first time the team hosted first and second round matches.
- The Buckeyes will be represented in the team, singles and doubles championships for the first time since 2001 and the third time in program history (1999, ’00, ’01).
- Ohio State is 5-12 all-time in NCAA matches after two wins last weekend. The squad reached the second round three times – 2010, 2004 and 2000 – before this year’s Round of 16 appearance.
- This season, the Buckeyes played eight matches against teams that are joining them in the Round of 16, going 6-2 in those contests. Ohio State has two wins over both Vanderbilt (4-3 Feb. 6 at National Indoors, 4-2 Feb. 13 in Columbus) and Michigan (4-2 Jan. 31 in Ann Arbor, 4-2 May 1 in the B1G Tournament final), defeated Pepperdine (4-3 Jan. 22 in For Worth Texas) and Georgia Tech (6-1 Feb. 14 in Columbus) and lost to California (4-3 Feb. 7 in National Indoors) and Miami (4-2 March 16 in Coral Gables).
Buckeyes vs. Yellow Jackets
- The Buckeyes have faced Georgia Tech five times and are 2-3 vs. the Yellow Jackets, with the wins coming in the last two meetings.
- The teams met in Columbus Feb. 14, a 6-1 Buckeye victory. The Buckeyes claimed the doubles point with wins on courts one by Miho Kowase and Anna Sanford and court three by Olivia Sneed and Francesca Di Lorenzo. In singles, Di Lorenzo (court one), Gabriella De Santis (court three), Kowase (court four), Ferny Angeles Paz (court five) and Sneed (court six) all posted victories.
- The teams met in Atlanta in 2015, with Ohio State winning 4-3. The Yellow Jackets won 5-2 Feb. 13, 2005 in Columbus, 7-0 March 14, 2004 in Atlanta and 5-4 March 22, 1999 in Coral Gables, Fla.
A Look at Georgia Tech
- Georgia Tech, ranked 17th, advanced to the Round of 16 with wins over Princeton (4-1) and No. 13 seed South Carolina (4-0) last weekend in Columbia, South Carolina.
- The Yellow Jackets have two ranked singles players and one ranked doubles pair. Johnnise Renaud is ranked 34th and Paige Hourigan is No. 39, while in doubles, Hourigan and Kendal Woodard are slotted 13th.
- The Yellow Jackets are 19-8 this season. Renaud is 11-8 on court one for the squad, with Hourigan 11-3 on court two and 15-6 in dual matches overall. Rasheeda McAdoo is first with 18 dual match wins this season, including a 13-4 ledger on court three. Hourigan and Woodard are 25-8 overall and 20-3 in dual matches on court one this year. McAdoo and Renaud have compiled a 19-3 ledger on court two.
Buckeye Notes to Know
- The Buckeyes are 30-2 on the year, with the only two losses to Cal in the National Team Indoor semifinals Feb. 7 and at Miami March 16. The team is 17-2 vs. ranked teams this season. The 30 wins are a program record, topping the 20 set in 2010 and ’15.
- Ohio State enters the Round of 16 on a 15-match winning streak, setting the program record for consecutive wins. The old mark was 10 wins in a row, set in 2015.
- With an 11-0 ledger in Big Ten matches, Ohio State claimed the outright Big Ten regular season title, giving the Buckeyes their first Big Ten championship. The squad allowed just one team point (doubles vs. Northwestern) and outscored its conference foes 69-1.
- Ohio State defeated Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan to capture the program’s first Big Ten Tournament championship.
- Ohio State is ranked fourth as a team in the most current ITA rankings (May 5). The squad has been ranked in the Top 6 the last 14 weeks (beginning Feb. 10). The team was 18th in the first two rankings before moving to a then-program best No. 16 Jan. 27 and into the Top 10 the next week. The Buckeyes hit No. 1 Feb. 29, the first time in program history the team was ranked first.
- Ohio State has a program-record 18 shutouts this season, including in 12 of the last 15 outings. The squad has dropped just four team points during its current 15-match winning streak.
- The Buckeyes were 15-0 at home this season and have won a program record 16 matches in a row in Columbus.
- Three Buckeyes – Francesca Di Lorenzo (13), Sandy Niehaus (12) and Anna Sanford (11) – all enter the NCAA Round of 16 with double-digit winning streaks in singles.
- Ohio State has won the doubles point in 27 matches this season, including 23 of the last 25.
Honors Abound
- Francesca Di Lorenzo was named Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Freshman of the Year. She was joined by Gabriella De Santis, Miho Kowase and Anna Sanford on the All-Big Ten Team. Ferny Angeles Paz received the B1G Sportsmanship Award. Melissa Schaub was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.
- Di Lorenzo was tabbed the ITA Midwest Region Rookie of the Year, while Schaub was named regional coach of the year and Adam Cohen received the region’s assistant coach of the year award. Kowase was the recipient of the Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship for the region.
Buckeye Drop Shots
- Francesca Di Lorenzo (Fr., New Albany, Ohio): Ranked No. 3 and NCAA singles championship qualifier … won National Indoor Championship in the fall, the first national title for the program … ITA’s top ranked newcomer entering the year and has been ranked in the Top 5 all spring, including time at No. 1 … leads Ohio State with 34-4 ledger, the second-most wins for a Buckeye in a single campaign … 25-3 in dual matches, all at No. 1, with all three losses coming in three sets … current 13-match winning streak … Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten and Midwest Freshman of the Year … 11-0 in Big Ten dual matches … 25-2 doubles dual match record with Olivia Sneed and tandem has won last five outings … clinched team win over Michigan in Big Ten Tournament final and vs. UCLA in NCAA Tournament second round … Ohio State Scholar-Athlete.
- Anna Sanford (So., Westerville, Ohio): Ranked No. 9 in doubles and NCAA doubles championship qualifier … No. 89 in ITA singles rankings … ITA Midwest Region doubles champion with Miho Kowase and reached consolation final at National Indoors … All-Big Ten selection for second straight year and was 10-0 in B1G matches … 23-7 overall and 20-5 in dual matches, with 16-3 mark on court two … enters Round of 16 on 11-match winning streak … 26-12 in doubles overall, with 18-7 dual ledger (16-7 on court one) … 25-9 overall and 17-7 in dual matches with Kowase … Ohio State Scholar-Athlete and will be Academic All-Big Ten.
- Gabriella De Santis (Jr., Caracas, Venezuela): All-Big Ten selection for third year in a row … ranked No. 96 in ITA singles ratings … 14-13 overall and 12-9 in dual matches … has won seven matches in a row … 6-0 in conference play … ranked 58th in doubles with Sandy Niehaus … duo is 12-1 in dual matches this spring, with lone loss to UCLA in a tiebreaker … 15-7 overall in doubles.
- Miho Kowase (Jr., Tokyo, Japan): Ranked No. 9 in doubles and NCAA doubles championship qualifier … ITA Midwest Region doubles champion with Anna Sanford and reached consolation final at National Indoors … All-Big Ten selection for second time in three years … Midwest Region winner of Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship … 22-2 in dual matches, with 11-2 mark on court four … 28-4 overall … was 8-0 in league play … 27-12 in doubles this season … 25-9 overall and 17-7 in dual matches with Sanford … 75-23 career singles record … Ohio State Scholar-Athlete and will be Academic All-Big Ten.
- Ferny Angeles Paz (Jr., Lima, Peru): Received Big Ten Sportsmanship Award … 30-6 on the year, ranking second on squad and tying for fifth in program in single season wins … 19-11 overall in doubles, with 8-7 dual match record … Ohio State Scholar-Athlete and will be Academic All-Big Ten.
- Sandy Niehaus (Jr., Cincinnati, Ohio): No. 81 in ITA singles rankings … 12-0 in dual matches and 17-3 overall … missed time to start spring with an injury … ranked 58th with De Santis in doubles … tandem is 12-1 in dual matches (playing on all three courts), with only loss to UCLA in a tiebreaker … 27-5 overall in doubles matches this year, with 17-3 dual match ledger … 70-16 in career singles matches.
- Olivia Sneed (So., Prairie Village, Kansas): Ranked No. 113 in ITA singles poll … 26-6 overall and 21-2 dual match ledger in singles … 7-0 vs. conference foes … current eight-match winning streak … leads Buckeyes with 30 doubles wins this season, tied for second in program history for a single campaign … 25-2 doubles dual match record with Di Lorenzo and tandem has won last five outings.
- Head coach Melissa Schaub: Back-to-back B1G Coach of the Year … ITA Midwest Region Coach of the Year … in fourth year at the helm … led squad to three straight NCAA tournaments … All-American at Tennessee … Lexington, Ohio, native.
By the Numbers
- Freshman Francesca Di Lorenzo leads Ohio State with 34 wins this season, the second-most for a Buckeye in a single season. She is a team-best 25-3 in dual matches and posted a win on court one in all 11 Big Ten outings.
- Sophomore Olivia Sneed has 30 wins in doubles to lead the squad and shares the dual match lead with Di Lorenzo with 25 each. It is just the fourth 30-win season in doubles for a Buckeye in program history. Junior Ferny Angeles Paz is second with 30 overall singles wins and is tied with classmate Miho Kowase for second with 22 dual match victories.
- The duos of Kowase and Anna Sanford and Di Lorenzo and Olivia Sneed are tied for first with 25 doubles wins as a team.
- In singles, the Buckeyes are 24-2 (.923) on court five and 26-2 (.929) on court six this season, with a 26-3 (.897) mark on court one. Overall, the team is 140-23 (.859) in singles dual matches this year. In doubles, the team is 24-2 (.923) on court three to lead the way. The squad has posted a 64-17 (.790) record in doubles dual matches.
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