Sunday, April 22
Columbus, Ohio
11 a.m.
Northwestern
4
at
2
Ohio State
Northwestern Finishes off Unbeaten Big Ten Season
4/22/2018 2:39:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Results (PDF)
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- No. 12 Northwestern claimed an undefeated, outright Big Ten women's tennis regular-season title Sunday, defeating 31st-ranked Ohio State, 4-2, in the regular-season finale for both teams.
The undefeated season is NU's first in league play since 2009 and the school's eighth overall under head coach Claire Pollard. The regular-season title is Northwestern's 13th under Pollard, tying her with Indiana's Lin Loring for the most in Big Ten history. This is the 17th season that the 'Cats have claimed a conference regular season and/or league title in Pollard's 20 seasons as head coach.
The Wildcats (19-4, 11-0 B1G) will be the top seed for the Big Ten tournament which gets underway Thursday in Minneapolis. Northwestern opens play at 11:30 a.m. Friday against the winner of Thursday's match between the Nos. 8 and 9 seeds.
NU surged in front Sunday by taking the doubles point. At No. 3, the team of Julie Byrne and Rheeya Doshi rolled to a 6-2 win. Both of the other two matches were closely contested with Ohio State holding late 4-3 leads at both Nos. 1 and 2. However, the fourth-ranked team of Erin Larner and Maddie Lipp were able to win the next three games at the top position, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead in the match.
The Buckeyes came out of the gates strong in singles, taking the first set in four of the six matches. However, Northwestern was able to close out the two matches in which it won the opening set. Byrne continued her stellar play as she closed out a convincing 6-1, 6-3 win at No. 4 before Alex Chatt finished out a 6-2, 6-4 victory, putting Northwestern up 3-0 in the match.
Ohio State finished off two wins of their own at Nos. 2 and 6, leaving the match to be determined by a pair of contests in the third set at Nos. 1 and 3.
Both Larner and Or dropped their first set, 4-6, before taking the second, 6-2. Each of the two NU players were able to get out to leads in the decisive set and Or eventually was able to close out Olivia Sneed, winning 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 and giving the Wildcats their first conference championship since winning the Big Ten tournament in 2014.
#12 Northwestern 4, #31 Ohio State 2
Doubles
1. #4 Erin Larner/Maddie Lipp (NU) def. #39 Anna Sanford/Shiori Fukuda (OSU) 6-4
2. Olivia Sneed/Mary Beth Hurley (OSU) vs. #31 Alex Chatt/Lee Or (NU) 4-5, unfinished
3. Julie Byrne/Rheeya Doshi (NU) def. Danielle Wolf/Maria Tyrina (OSU) 6-2
Order of finish: 3, 1*
Singles
1. #56 Anna Sanford (OSU) vs. #39 Erin Larner (NU) 6-4, 2-6, 4-5, unfinished
2. Shiori Fukuda (OSU) def. #70 Maddie Lipp (NU) 6-4, 6-1
3. Lee Or (NU) def. Olivia Sneed (OSU) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
4. Julie Byrne (NU) def. Danielle Wolf (OSU) 6-1, 6-3
5. Alex Chatt (NU) def. Emma DeCoste (OSU) 6-2, 6-4
6. Mary Beth Hurley (OSU) def. Inci Ogut (NU) 6-4, 6-2
Order of finish: 4, 5, 2, 6, 3*
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- No. 12 Northwestern claimed an undefeated, outright Big Ten women's tennis regular-season title Sunday, defeating 31st-ranked Ohio State, 4-2, in the regular-season finale for both teams.
The undefeated season is NU's first in league play since 2009 and the school's eighth overall under head coach Claire Pollard. The regular-season title is Northwestern's 13th under Pollard, tying her with Indiana's Lin Loring for the most in Big Ten history. This is the 17th season that the 'Cats have claimed a conference regular season and/or league title in Pollard's 20 seasons as head coach.
The Wildcats (19-4, 11-0 B1G) will be the top seed for the Big Ten tournament which gets underway Thursday in Minneapolis. Northwestern opens play at 11:30 a.m. Friday against the winner of Thursday's match between the Nos. 8 and 9 seeds.
NU surged in front Sunday by taking the doubles point. At No. 3, the team of Julie Byrne and Rheeya Doshi rolled to a 6-2 win. Both of the other two matches were closely contested with Ohio State holding late 4-3 leads at both Nos. 1 and 2. However, the fourth-ranked team of Erin Larner and Maddie Lipp were able to win the next three games at the top position, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead in the match.
The Buckeyes came out of the gates strong in singles, taking the first set in four of the six matches. However, Northwestern was able to close out the two matches in which it won the opening set. Byrne continued her stellar play as she closed out a convincing 6-1, 6-3 win at No. 4 before Alex Chatt finished out a 6-2, 6-4 victory, putting Northwestern up 3-0 in the match.
Ohio State finished off two wins of their own at Nos. 2 and 6, leaving the match to be determined by a pair of contests in the third set at Nos. 1 and 3.
Both Larner and Or dropped their first set, 4-6, before taking the second, 6-2. Each of the two NU players were able to get out to leads in the decisive set and Or eventually was able to close out Olivia Sneed, winning 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 and giving the Wildcats their first conference championship since winning the Big Ten tournament in 2014.
#12 Northwestern 4, #31 Ohio State 2
Doubles
1. #4 Erin Larner/Maddie Lipp (NU) def. #39 Anna Sanford/Shiori Fukuda (OSU) 6-4
2. Olivia Sneed/Mary Beth Hurley (OSU) vs. #31 Alex Chatt/Lee Or (NU) 4-5, unfinished
3. Julie Byrne/Rheeya Doshi (NU) def. Danielle Wolf/Maria Tyrina (OSU) 6-2
Order of finish: 3, 1*
Singles
1. #56 Anna Sanford (OSU) vs. #39 Erin Larner (NU) 6-4, 2-6, 4-5, unfinished
2. Shiori Fukuda (OSU) def. #70 Maddie Lipp (NU) 6-4, 6-1
3. Lee Or (NU) def. Olivia Sneed (OSU) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
4. Julie Byrne (NU) def. Danielle Wolf (OSU) 6-1, 6-3
5. Alex Chatt (NU) def. Emma DeCoste (OSU) 6-2, 6-4
6. Mary Beth Hurley (OSU) def. Inci Ogut (NU) 6-4, 6-2
Order of finish: 4, 5, 2, 6, 3*
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Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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