No. 2 Ohio State Hosts NC State Friday, Travels to Penn State Sunday

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Coming off a run to the final match at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship, the No. 2 Ohio State women's tennis team is set for two matches this weekend. The Buckeyes (5-1) will host No. 8 NC State (6-3) at 6 p.m. Friday in the Ty Tucker Tennis Center in Columbus. Sunday, Ohio State will open Big Ten play with an 11 a.m. match at Penn State (5-0).

Ohio State vs. NC State: Watch | Live Stats
Ohio State at Penn State: Watch | Live Stats

In the Rankings

The Buckeyes are ranked No. 2 in the ITA Coaches Poll this week. It is the first time Ohio State has been No. 2 since Feb. 21, 2023. The team's last time in the Top 5 was May 1, 2025 at No. 4.
The squad started the year ranked No. 13 and was No. 12 in the second poll, moving to No. 10 Jan. 28.
Singles and doubles rankings were released last week for the first time in 2026.
In singles, Luciana Perry is a personal-best No. 3. She is just the second Buckeye to be ranked in the Top 3, joining Francesca Di Lorenzo, who was as high as No. 1 in 2016 and '17.
Teah Chavez is 13th, her third straight ranking in the Top 15.
Nao Nishino is No. 52, a personal best, with Sophia Cisse-Ignatiev No. 114.
In doubles, the tandem of Hephzibah Oluwadare and Chavez entered the rankings at No. 13. They are the eighth Buckeye duo to earn a spot in the Top 15.
Chavez and Perry have been ranked as a twosome since February 2025 and are currently No. 36.
Flora Johnson and Perry are No. 55, with Nishino and Audrey Spencer No. 60 and Johnson and Nishino No. 89.

Oluwadare Named B1G Freshman of the Week

Hephzibah Oluwadare was selected the Big Ten Freshman of the Week Wednesday for her performance at ITA Indoors.
She was 2-1 in singles in the tournament. Against No. 4 seed Duke, Oluwadare rallied to force a third set and was on serve on court five when the Buckeye win was clinched. Against No. 1 UNC, Oluwadare clinched the team victory, rolling to a 6-1 win in her third set match on court six vs. UNCs No. 90 ranked Theadora Rabiman. She put the Buckeyes ahead 3-2 against No. 3 Texas A&M with a straight set victory on court five over No. 96 Dariia Smetannikov.
The win against the Tar Heels marked the first collegiate dual victory for Oluwadare.

Buckeye Trio Named to ITA Indoors All-Tournament Team

Following standout performances at the ITA Indoor Championship, Buckeye juniors Teah Chavez, Luciana Perry and Audrey Spencer were named to the All-Tournament Team. The honorees were voted on by the participating head coaches.
Perry was the No. 1 singles selection. She posted wins against Duke and Georgia and was leading against UNC when the team win was clinched.
Chavez was the No. 2 singles honoree after going 4-0 with straight set wins against UNC, Texas A&M (at No. 1) and Georgia and a three-set victory vs. Duke.
Spencer was chosen at the No. 5 spot. She won all four of her matches, with a three-set victory vs. the Blue Devils on court four and straight-set wins against North Carolina, Texas A&M (on court six) and Georgia.

Buckeyes vs. Wolfpack and Nittany Lions

Ohio State is 2-2 all-time against NC State. The teams met in Knoxville, Tenn., on ITA Kickoff Weekend last year, with the Buckeyes winning 4-1. The squads first met March 2, 1991, a 7-2 Ohio State win. The Wolfpack claimed both matches in a home-and-home series, posting a 4-3 win in Raleigh Jan. 23, 2022 and a 4-3 victory in Columbus Feb. 22, 2023.
NC State, ranked eighth this week, is 6-3 on the year. At ITA Indoors, the team defeated Oklahoma State in the first round, 4-3, before falling to Auburn, 4-1, and LSU, 4-2.
The Wolfpack has four ranked singles players – No. 18 Lavinia Tanasie, No. 36 Mia Slama, No. 43 Gabriella Broadfoot and No. 110 Anna Zyryanova. In doubles, Broadfoot and Victoria Osuigwe are ranked second, with Zyryanova and Jasmine Conway No. 16.
The Buckeyes are 40-13 in the all-time series against Penn State and have won the last 15 matches between the teams. Last season, the Buckeyes posted a 7-0 win in Columbus April 12, 2025. The last meeting in University Park was a 7-0 Ohio State victory April 3, 2024.
Penn State is 5-0 on the year and recorded wins over Mercyhurst (7-0) and Mount St. Mary's (4-0) last Sunday in its last time out.
In doubles, Olivia Dorner and No. 72 Maiko Uchijima are ranked 72nd.

Buckeye This and That

Ohio State is 5-1 on the year, with the lone loss to No. 1 ranked Georgia, 4-3, in the ITA Indoor Championship final Tuesday evening.
After semifinal trips in 2016 and '17, Ohio State made its first appearance in the tournament final. The Buckeyes' run to the championship match included victories over No. 4 seed and No. 7 ranked Duke, No. 1 seed and No. 3 ranked North Carolina and No. 3 seed and No. 2 ranked Texas A&M.
In dual matches, Audrey Spencer leads the Buckeyes with a 5-0 ledger, with Teah Chavez 4-0. Spencer has won her last nine completed matches.
Overall, Nao Nishino has a team-best 17 wins this year. Luciana Perry and Spencer are tied for second with 11 and Chavez has 10.
As a team, the Buckeyes are 4-0 on courts one and five this spring. Court six has posted a 4-2 mark, with courts two and four 3-1 and court three 2-3.

Up Next

The Buckeyes will travel to Stillwater, Okla., for a match vs. Oklahoma State at noon ET Feb. 22.
Ohio State will then be back home for two matches, hosting Michigan State at noon Feb. 28 and No. 17 Michigan at 6 p.m. March 6.
Admission and parking are free for all Ohio State home matches.

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