Ohio State Tops Iowa, Advances to Big Ten Tournament Final

Saturday, May 1

Madison, Wis.

Ohio State

Iowa (Semifinals) **

Ohio State Tops Iowa, Advances to Big Ten Tournament Final

Ohio State Tops Iowa, Advances to Big Ten Tournament Final

5/1/2021 7:58:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score

Results

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Buckeye junior Isabelle Boulais rallied for a three-set win, clinching a 4-2 victory for the Ohio State women's tennis team over Iowa to send the Buckeyes to the Big Ten Tournament championship match. Ohio State improves to 20-3 on the year with its 12th win in a row.

Against the No. 4 seed Hawkeyes (13-7), the Buckeyes won the doubles point with victories from the duos of Lucia Marzal and Lisa Hofbauer and Luna Dormet and Irina Cantos Siemers. Marzal and Dormet notched quick singles victories for a 3-0 Ohio State advantage. The Hawkeyes won the next two for a 3-2 match. After dropping the first set 6-1, Boulais took the second 6-3 and the won the final four games in the third set to clinch her match and the team victory.

Buckeyes and Wolverines to Play for Title Sunday

Ohio State, the tournament's No. 1-seed, will take on No. 2 seed Michigan at 3 p.m. Sunday for the Big Ten tournament title. The match will be streamed through BTN Plus.
The match will be the third between the Buckeyes and Wolverines this season. The teams split the first two matches, with each squad winning 4-3 on the road. Both matches came down to a third set tiebreaker.
The teams were regular season co-champions with matching 15-1 records in B1G play.
The Buckeyes are looking for their third B1G tournament title, after winning in 2016 and '17.
Ohio State also reached the final in 2015 (falling to Michigan) and 2004 (a loss to Northwestern).
All-time, Ohio State is 3-3 against Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament.

In Doubles

The Buckeyes cruised to wins on courts two and three in doubles vs. Iowa, winning the doubles point for the 18th straight match.
On court two, the tandem of Lucia Marzal and Lisa Hofbauer was broken by Elise van Heuvelen and Samantha Gilas to start the match, but then won the next six for the victory. The Buckeye duo improves to 11-2 this year, all in dual play.
On court three, Buckeyes Luna Dormet and Irina Cantos Siemers jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Iowa's Danielle Bauers and Vipasha Mehra drew within one (3-2) with a break and a hold, but the Buckeyes won the next three games for a 6-2 win and the doubles point. The Ohio State pair is 11-0 this spring.
50-ranked Isabelle Boulais and Kolie Allen trailed Alexa Noel and Samantha Mannix on court one, 3-4, when play was suspended.

In Singles

After the Buckeyes won quickly on courts five and six, Iowa got on the board with a straight-set victory on court one. The rest of the matches were all close, setting up an exciting finish.
Marzal lost just three games en route to a 6-2, 6-1 win over Michelle Bacalla on court five, giving Ohio State a 2-0 lead. Marzal is a team-best 21-3 overall this year and is 19-2 in dual play.
On court six, Dormet shut out Mehra in the first set and won the first three games of the second set. Mehra captured the next two but Dormet claimed the final three games, including two breaks, for a 3-0 Ohio State team lead. Dormet improved to 17-1 in dual matches and 19-1 on the year with her 10th win in a row.
In a Top 20 matchup on court one, Iowa's Noel, ranked 18th, topped Buckeye Cantos Siemers, ranked 15th, 6-1, 6-2, for a 3-1 match.
On court three, Buckeye Kolie Allen dropped the first set against Samantha Mannix, 6-3. In the second set, Allen saved three match points while serving 5-6 to force a tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, Mannix jumped ahead 4-1 and ended with a 7-2 victory to make the team score 3-2 in favor of Ohio State.
The team match was left to court two, which was in a third set, and court four, which was still in the second. Both Boulais, on court two, and Hofbauer, on four, were serving for the match at nearly the same time, with Boulais sealing the win.
On court two, Boulais faced No. 114-ranked van Heuvelen. The Hawkeye won the first set, 6-1, before Boulais took the second, 6-3. In the third, Boulais was down 0-3 to start and 2-4. She won the final four games, with two breaks, to seal the team victory. Boulais is 11-5 overall and in dual matches this year.
The remaining match was between Lisa Hofbauer and Samantha Gilas on court four. The Buckeye won the first set in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (5), notching the final three points. In the second set, Hofbauer led 5-3 but Gilas won back-to-back games for a 5-all set when play was suspended.

The Results
Iowa vs Ohio State
May 1, 2021 at Madison, Wis.
(Nielsen Tennis Stadium)

#16 Ohio State 4, #42 Iowa 2

Singles competition

#18 Alexa Noel (IOWA) def. #15 Irina Cantos Siemers (OSU) 6-1, 6-2
Isabelle Boulais (OSU) def. #114 Elise van Heuvelen (IOWA) 1-6, 6-3, 6-4
Samantha Mannix (IOWA) def. Kolie Allen (OSU) 6-3, 7-6 (7-2)
Lisa Hofbauer (OSU) vs. Samantha Gilas (IOWA) 7-6 (7-5), 5-5, unfinished
Lucia Marzal (OSU) def. Michelle Bacalla (IOWA) 6-2, 6-1
Luna Dormet (OSU) def. Vipasha Mehra (IOWA) 6-0, 6-3

Doubles competition

#50 Isabelle Boulais/Kolie Allen (OSU) vs. Alexa Noel/Samantha Mannix (IOWA) 3-4, unfinished
Lucia Marzal/Lisa Hofbauer (OSU) def. Elise van Heuvelen/Samantha Gilas (IOWA) 6-1
#85 Luna Dormet/Irina Cantos Siemers (OSU) def. Danielle Bauers/Vipasha Mehra (IOWA) 6-2

Match Notes:
Iowa 13-7, 12-4; National ranking #42
Ohio State 20-3, 15-1; National ranking #16
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (5,6,1,3,2)
2021 Big Ten Women's Tennis Tournament
Semifinals
OSU No. 1 seed, Iowa No. 4 seed