Buckeyes Open Dual Season with ITA Kick-Off Weekend
1/24/2019 4:35:39 PM | Women's Tennis
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women’s tennis team begins dual match play this weekend in Atlanta for ITA Kick-Off Weekend. No. 14 Georgia Tech is the site host, joined by the Buckeyes, Auburn and No. 25 Kentucky.
In the first round Saturday, the Buckeyes and Yellow Jackets will meet at 10 a.m., followed by the Tigers and Wildcats at 1 p.m. The consolation match is slated for 10 a.m. Sunday, with the championship match at 1 p.m. The winner of the championship match earns a spot in the ITA Team Indoor Championship. All matches will be played at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex, with live stats available online at RamblinWreck.com.
Auburn and Kentucky are both 4-0 in 2019 while the Buckeyes and Yellow Jackets are kicking off team play this weekend.
All four teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season. Georgia Tech reached the semifinals, while the other three teams fell in the first round.
ITA Kick-Off Weekend
This is the ninth time Ohio State will compete in ITA Kick-Off Weekend (previously known as the ITA National Indoor Qualifier). Winners from the 15 host sites earn a spot in the ITA Team Indoor Championship, hosted for the women this year by Washington.
Last year, Ohio State was a Kick-Off Weekend site. The Buckeyes defeated Kansas, 4-1, in the first round before a 4-2 loss to Wake Forest in the championship match.
In 2017, the Buckeyes advanced to National Team Indoors with 4-0 wins over Florida State and Alabama in Columbus. In 2016, the Buckeyes beat Pepperdine and TCU in Fort Worth, Texas, to earn a spot at National Indoors for the second time in program history.
In 2014, Ohio State traveled to Coral Gables, Fla. The Buckeyes lost to No. 9 Miami in the first round and fell to South Florida in the consolation match. In 2012, the Buckeyes fell to host Florida State and Texas A&M in Tallahassee, Fla. The 2011 squad traveled to Knoxville, Tenn., where it lost to the host Volunteers and then dropped a close match to SMU in the consolation. In 2010 the Buckeyes headed to Fresno, Calif., where they upset Fresno State in the first round before falling to Florida State on day two. The 2009 team traveled to Durham, N.C., topping South Carolina, 4-3, on day one before falling to No. 9 Duke on day two.
Buckeyes vs. Atlanta Kick-Off Weekend Teams
Ohio State has met all three teams in Atlanta this weekend in the NCAA Tournament, facing the Yellow Jackets in the Round of 16 in 2017, Auburn in the first round in 2008 and Kentucky in the first round in both 2009 and 2004.
Georgia Tech
Ohio State is 3-3 all-time vs. Georgia Tech … the teams last met in the 2017 NCAA Tournament Round of 16 in Tulsa, Okla., a 4-2 Buckeye victory … the squads also faced off Feb. 14, 2017, in Columbus, a 6-1 Ohio State victory … the last match in Atlanta was in 2015, a 4-3 Ohio State win … the Yellow Jackets won the first three meetings, with victories in Columbus in 2005, in Atlanta in 2004 and in Coral Gables, Fla., in 1999 … the Buckeyes and Yellow Jackets both competed in the Michigan Invitational last weekend, with the teams splitting eight singles matches and Ohio State claiming three of four doubles matches … the teams also faced off in the Debbie Southern Fall Invitational hosted by Furman in the fall.
Auburn
Ohio State is 4-4 vs. the Tigers all-time … the last match was Feb. 10, 2017, in the ITA Team Indoor Championship, a 4-1 Ohio State win in New Haven, Conn. … in 2001, the Buckeyes won a neutral site match at the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic in Montgomery, Ala., 4-0 … in 2008, the teams met in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, with Auburn advancing with a 4-3 victory in Gainesville., Fla. … the squads also faced off in Louisville in 2007 (a 6-1 Auburn win), in Columbus in 2005 when the Buckeyes won 5-2 and in 2004 when the Tigers won at home, 4-3 … the first match was March 23, 1980, when the Tigers won 8-1, and the teams also met in 1986 in Delray, Fla., a 7-2 Auburn win.
Kentucky
The Buckeyes and Wildcats have met 23 times, with Kentucky holding the advantage, 15-8, but Ohio State ahead 3-2 since 2010 … the teams met in Columbus last year, a 4-1 Buckeye victory … the series dates to 1975 when the Buckeyes posted a 9-0 victory at home … the Buckeyes and Wildcats met in the NCAA Tournament in 2009 (first round) and 2004 (second round), with Kentucky winning both … the teams met in the regular season each year from 1998-2005.
The Buckeyes This Year
Ohio State has competed in six tournament during 2018-19, with both flighted and hidden dual formats. Sophomore Luna Dormet leads the team with 11 singles wins, followed by junior Danielle Wolf with 10 and sophomore Mary Beth Hurley with nine.
The doubles tandem of Dormet and Shiori Fukuda has a team-high six victories and Dormet is first with 11 doubles wins overall. Fukuda, Hurley and Danielle Wolf follow with nine doubles wins each.
Last Time Out
Last weekend, the Buckeyes were in Ann Arbor for the Michigan Invitational, a hidden dual tournament. Ohio State compiled a 10-13 overall singles record and was 7-5 in doubles. Hurley led the Buckeyes with a 3-0 record in singles, while Fukuda, Kolie Allen and Dormet each posted two singles victories. The duo of Dormet and Hurley had a team-high two doubles victories as a teandem and individual 3-0 doubles marks.
Up Next
Ohio State opens its home schedule next weekend, hosting Texas at 6 p.m. Feb. 1 and Notre Dame at noon Feb. 3. Both matches will be played in the Varsity Tennis Center and admission is free.
