Buckeye Netters Ready to Begin Spring Season

Ohio State is looking to win its seventh-consecutive Big Ten championship

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The six-time defending tournament and regular-season Big Ten champions, the Ohio State men’s tennis team is eager to commence its 2012 spring schedule. The Buckeyes will return six letterwinners from last year, which culminated with a semifinal appearance in the NCAA tournament and a 34 win season, including an undefeated mark in the conference.  Head coach Ty Tucker will have a tough task replacing three letterwinners lost to graduation, but he will have his Scarlet and Gray squad prepared as always when they take the courts for the start of dual action beginning with the annual doubleheader home opener vs. Butler and Xavier Jan. 18.

 

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2011 in Review

Since becoming head coach of the Ohio State men’s tennis team in 1999, Ty Tucker has quietly turned the Buckeye program into a Big Ten Conference dynasty by consistently leading his squads against some of the best teams in the nation. Riding the momentum from the previous five seasons, the 2010-11 Buckeyes won their sixth-consecutive league regular-season and tournament titles and made their second NCAA semifinals appearance in the 100th year of the program’s existence.

 

During the NCAA tournament, the fourth-ranked Buckeyes defeated Baylor, 4-2, in their sixth quarterfinal trip before falling to top-ranked Virginia in the semifinals at the Taube Tennis Center in Stanford, Calif. Ohio State (34-3, 13-0) once again finished the season with numerous accomplishments. As a team, the 34 wins are the third most in team history (36 – 2009; 35 – 2008 and 2010), while individually, several Buckeyes picked up Big Ten and national accolades.

 

Freshman Blaz Rola was the ITA Midwest Regional singles champion and senior Matt Allare and redshirt freshman Peter Kobelt won the Midwest Regional doubles crown.

 

Fall Rewind

The Scarlet and Gray had a historic fall season. Senior Chase Buchanan and sophomore Blaz Rola captured the 2011 USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Doubles Championship in stunning form Nov. 6 at the USTA-Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y. The Buckeye duo defeated Tulsa's Clifford Marsland and Ashley Watling 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 to win the highly acclaimed title.

 

Buchanan and Rola previously won the D'Novo/ITA All-American Doubles Championship Oct. 9 in Tulsa, Okla. They beat Georgia Tech's Kevin King and Juan Spir (the top-seed in the tournament) in the event to earn the automatic bid to compete in the prestigious National Indoor championship.

 

Scott Green and Ross Wilson were the last Buckeye team to reach the National Indoor Doubles Championship. The pair defeated Marco Born and Andreas Billjestrom of Middle Tennessee State 9-7 in the 2005 final. Like Buchanan and Rola, Ross and Green were the No. 2 seed in the event. Green and Wilson also won the National Indoor title in 2004, the same season they won the ITA All-American Championship.

 

It was the sixth time in ITA history the same doubles team captured both the All-American and National Indoor titles in the same season. The pair wrapped up their fall season 9-0 as a team.

 

Looking at the Rankings

The Scarlet and Gray have eight players ranked in the 2011 Campbell's/Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division I Preseason poll released Sept. 9. Sophomore Blaz Rola leads the Buckeyes with the distinction of being ranked as the second-best singles player in the nation. Senior Chase Buchanan is not too far behind, coming in at No. 5. The six ranked singles players are the most of any team in the country.

 

Four other Buckeyes are ranked in the singles portion of the poll after helping Ohio State grab its sixth-consecutive Big Ten regular season and tournament crown. Devin McCarthy and Peter Kobelt enter the standings at Nos. 32 and 33, respectively. Nelson Vick holds down the 60th-ranked position with Ille Van Engelen right behind at No. 61.

 

In doubles, Buchanan and Rola pace three Buckeye pairs ranked in the ITA Top 60, entering the rankings as the No. 2 team in the nation. In an unusual occurrence, Kobelt finds himself ranked twice in the doubles poll. The New Albany, Ohio, native pairs with Florida State transfer, Connor Smith to form the No. 16 tandem and is ranked No. 59 with redshirt freshman Kevin Metka.

 

Strong Schedule

Once again, Ohio State will embark on a difficult schedule that will challenge and prepare the Buckeyes for the postseason. In non-conference action, the Scarlet and Gray will welcome Mississippi State (Jan. 22), Pepperdine (Feb. 3), Kentucky (Feb. 25) and North Carolina (Feb. 26). Ohio State also hosts Texas A&M March 9, before concluding its non-conference slate at LSU (March 19) and Georgia (March 21). The Buckeyes travel to Louisville (Feb. 9) and Notre Dame (March 3) in a stretch that will see Ohio State face eight opponents in a row that were ranked in the final ITA poll of 2011. In all, Ohio State will face 19 teams that finished ranked in the ITA Top 75 last year.

 

Beginning Feb. 16, the highly regarded ITA National Team Indoor Championships will take place in Chicago, Ill. Ohio State is one of 15 qualifying host sites for the National Team Indoor Championships, as it will host the ITA Kickoff Weekend at The Ohio State University Varsity Indoor Center Jan. 27-29. Indiana, Notre Dame and Cornell will compete with the Buckeyes in the qualifier.

 

After playing Michigan State (Feb. 12) and Penn State (March 11) earlier in the season, the Buckeyes will gear up for the bulk of their Big Ten portion of the schedule. The team will visit 2011 conference runner-up Indiana March 25 before hosting Big Ten newcomer Nebraska for the first time on March 30. The regular season concludes April 22 at home for the Buckeyes, when the finish conference play vs. Michigan. The Big Ten Championships will take place at Northwestern April 26-29, two weeks prior to NCAA Regionals, which runs May 14-15.

 

Preseason Points

·         The Buckeyes enter the 2012 spring season with 128 consecutive wins at home.

·         Ohio State has won 17 of its previous 18 matches, with the only loss coming in the NCAA semifinals to No. 1 Virginia.

·         Additionally, the Buckeyes enter the spring winners of 56 of their last 57 road matches (non-tournament).

·         Since 2001, Ohio State is 245-36 (.872) when ranked in the ITA Top 25. That mark improves to 198-13 (.938) from the 2005-06 season onward.

·         Ohio State has been ranked in the ITA Top 10 for 162-consecutive matches (beginning March 7, 2006).

 

 

Dangerous Duo

With the departure of seniors Matt Allare, Balazs Novak and Shuhei Uzawa, Ohio State is looking to replace the three former Buckeyes who maintained on-court success. However, with the crop of returning letterwinners, the Scarlet and Gray will have a good chance.

 

Chase Buchanan, a 2011 All-American and two-time defending Big Ten Athlete of the Year, is one of two seniors on the team this season and will be relied upon to continue the unprecedented success he has accumulated during his time at Ohio State. Buchanan was 34-7 overall, including a 29-3 mark in the spring and a perfect 10-0 vs. Big Ten opponents in 2011. The New Albany, Ohio, native was 16-1 at No. 1 singles and 13-2 at No. 2 on the courts. He finished 15-7 vs. ranked opponents. The 12-time Big Ten Player of the Week will look to guide the Scarlet and Gray to a seventh conference title.

 

Blaz Rola, a sophomore from Ptuj, Slovenia, was nothing short of spectacular during his rookie season donning the Scarlet and Gray. Rola, a 2011 All-American and ITA National Player to Watch, went an impressive 41-7 in 2011, including marks of 25-4 in the spring, 8-1 in the Big Ten and 17-7 vs. nationally ranked challengers. Like Buchanan, Rola split the season between the No. 1 and No. 2 positions, posting 10-3 and 15-1 records at both positions, respectively.

 

Stepping Up

Ohio State will be relying heavily on Buchanan and Rola to continue the success they’ve encountered, but other Buckeyes also will need to step up in singles competition this season.

 

Devin McCarthy, a redshirt junior and member of the 2011 Second Team All-Big Ten, has gradually improved each season during his tenure as a Buckeye and the same will be expected this season. McCarthy posted a 30-5 overall record last year with a 25-3 mark in the spring that included a 9-1 tally vs. the Big Ten. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native mostly competed at the five and six positions in 2011, going 11-2 and 10-0, respectively.

 

Ille Van Engelen, who enrolled in school last spring, will be looked upon to provide some additional wins in singles competition. The Eindhoven, Netherlands, native spent most of the spring at the No. 3 position and went 17-8 overall, including 7-0 in the Big Ten, which earned him First Team All-Big Ten honors.

 

Peter Kobelt and Nelson Vick will also be key additions to Ohio State’s success. Kobelt was 13-3 overall last season, competing in three dual matches and winning all three. The Central Ohio native spent most of the spring paired with Matt Allare at No. 1 doubles, where the duo went 25-11 overall. Vick, a redshirt sophomore, had a successful first year on the courts, amassing a 20-4 record, going 7-1 at the No. 6 position.

 

Big Ten Best
Ohio State has won 79 consecutive matches in the Big Ten after the trio of 4-0 victories at the 2011 Big Ten tournament. The Buckeyes shut out No. 50 Michigan State, No. 18 Illinois and No. 19 Minnesota, respectively. The Scarlet and Gray finished the 2011 Big Ten regular season 55-5 in singles and 27-3 in doubles. Including the Big Ten tournament, those marks improved to 64-5 in singles and 33-3 in doubles.

 

Entering the season, the Buckeyes have collected six-consecutive Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles. Head coach Ty Tucker also has nabbed Big Ten Coach of the Year every year during the span as well.

 

In addition to the conference win streak, the Buckeyes also have won 131 of their last 136 league contests, including postseason play.


A New Home

Immediately following the final home match last year on May 15 vs. Notre Dame in the second round of the NCAA tournament, Stickney Tennis Center began a facelift. Bulldozers and construction staff quickly tore down and removed everything that was the existing Stickney Tennis Center, including all the trees as well. This allowed for a fresh start with no constraints during the construction of the newly named Ohio State University Outdoor Varsity Tennis Center. The Outdoor VTC is modeled differently than Stickney. It consists of 10 scarlet and gray painted tournament-style courts that are ideal for large spectator crowds. The tennis complex will serve both the university and surrounding community for practice, competitions and youth camps.

 

Along with the courts, there is a new joint support facility shared with the field hockey complex that contains restrooms, storage and concessions for fans. The complex also includes a convenient new parking lot and better media accessibility, including a press area.

 

Dominant in Columbus
The Buckeyes have won a school-record 128 consecutive home matches dating back to the 2002-03 season. Ohio State won all 14 matches at the Varsity Indoor Tennis Center last season, nine against ranked teams. At home the Scarlet and Gray were 14-0 vs. ITA Top 75 opponents. Ohio State was victorious in all 18 home matches last season, including the First and Second Rounds of the NCAA Championships. In the Big Ten, no other team in any sport has won as many consecutive contests at home than the Buckeyes.

 

2011 marked the eighth-consecutive year the team achieved perfection in Columbus. It has been nearly 3,200 days since the Buckeyes last lost a home match. The home win streak began April 6, 2003 with a 5-2 triumph over Purdue.

 

Coach Tucker’s Unprecedented Success

During the previous 12 years, Ty Tucker has built the men’s tennis program into one of elite teams in the country, reaching unprecedented heights the team had never seen before he took control of the program in 1999. His passion for the game rub off on his student-athletes, who portray a superb work ethic that has paid off with six consecutive Big Ten regular season and tournament crowns.

 

Tucker earned Midwest Region Coach of the Year honors four times (2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010), and was named 2009 National Coach of the Year after leading the Buckeyes to their first NCAA tournament final appearance. Tucker also has been named Big Ten Coach of the Year on seven occasions. Last year, was his sixth in a row, earning the honor in 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. During the Scarlet and Gray’s six-year Big Ten regular-season and tournament championships run from 2006-11, Tucker has led the Buckeyes to a 198-13 record (.938).

 

In 2011, Tucker led Ohio State to another impressive season, guiding the Buckeyes to their fifth consecutive 30-plus win campaign (34) and their second NCAA semifinal appearance in team history.

 

Noting the Tucker Era… (as of Dec. 2, 2011)

• named 2009 Wilson/ITA National Coach of The Year; the first Ohio State head coach to earn such a distinction time in program history

• has 41 Academic All-Big Ten honorees and a two-time Academic All-American (Vincent Ng in 2002 and ‘03)

• has 28 All-Big Ten selections and 10 All-Americans

• has five Big Ten Men’s Tennis Athletes of the Year (Ng, 2003, Bryan Koniecko, 2008 and 2009 and Chase Buchanan, 2010 and 2011), four Big Ten Freshmen of the Year (Joey Atas, 2004, Bryan Koniecko,2006, Justin Kronauge, 2007 and Blaz Rola, 2011) and seven Big Ten Coaches of the Year (Ty Tucker in 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011) awards

• Advanced to program’s first ever national title match (2009)

• has been ranked in the ITA Top 10 for 162-consecutive matches (beginning March 7, 2006)

• attained program’s best ranking (No. 1) Jan. 6 – Feb.19, 2008

• has won 128-consecutive home matches (April 6, 2003– present)

• has won 41-consecutive Big Ten home matches (April 6, 2003-present)

• has won 126 of 127 regular-season (non-tournament) matches from Feb. 26, 2006 – present

• has won 57 of 58 away regular-season matches beginning with Feb. 26, 2006 win (4-2) at No. 21 VCU to its April 12, 2009 win (6-1) at No. 11 Illinois

• has earned 10 regular-season Big Ten Conference dual match victories for first time in program history six times (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011)

• has won 60-consecutive regular-season Big Ten matches dating back to 2006

• Ty Tucker has 12-consecutive 20-win seasons (a school record) as head coach

• has 17 20-win seasons all-time, more than half with Tucker as head coach

• has been to 12-consecutive NCAA team tournaments, second in the Big Ten only to Illinois’ 16

• had the No. 1 ranked singles player – Jeremy Wurtzman in 2004, Steven Moneke in 2007, Bryan Koniecko in 2009

• won the 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 Big Ten Tournaments

• won outright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 Big Ten Regular-Season Championships

• has gone 109-11 (.908) in Big Ten regular-season matches

• has won 326 dual matches against 54 defeats (.858)

• has a coach with an average record of 27-4 per season (2000-present)

• has the best single-season win percentage (2009) in school history (.947/36-2)

• has had three players set school career singles win record (132, Ng from 2000-03; 146, Moneke from 2006-2009; 147, Justin Kronauge)

• has had four players set the school career doubles win record (Justin Kronauge with 133 from 2007-10; Bryan Koniecko with 125 from 2006-09; Drew Eberly with 118 from 2005-08; Ross Wilson with 118 from 2003-06; Scott Green with 117 from 2003-06)

• has had three players set the school record for career combined singles and doubles (280, Justin Kronauge from 2007-10; 254, Bryan Koniecko from 2006-09; 209, Ross Wilson from 2003-06)

• has led Ohio State to the best six-year combined Big Ten record in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 (60-0)

• Ty Tucker has led Ohio State to the best six-year combined regular season record in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 (173-11)