UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO ATHLETICS
COLUMBUS, OH – The University at Buffalo women’s tennis team put up a valiant effort against the number two ranked team in the nation on Saturday afternoon, but the Ohio State Buckeyes came away with a 4-0 win over the Bulls in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament. The loss was UB’s first in over a month.
The Buckeyes, who were the third seed in the NCAA Tournament and ranked second in the latest national poll, took the doubles point with 6-1 victories at first and second doubles. Ohio State’s number one team was ranked 18th nationally.
UB then moved into singles play where the Bulls were a huge underdogs in all six matches. The top five Ohio State players all carried national rankings, including first singles, which featured the number one singles player in the country. The Buckeyes used wins at one, three, and five to claim the match.
Sophomore Mercedes Losada Rubio was tied 4-4 in the first set at four against the 91st ranked player nationally, before losing the opening set 6-4. Collectively, freshman Emel Abibula took the most games of any UB player as she lost her match 6-2, 6-3.
“I am so incredibly of this group for the way they played all season and the way they battled today against second best team in the country,” said head coach Kristen Maines. “We fought hard and we left it all on the court and as a coach that is all you can ask for from your team.”
The season for the Bulls comes to an end with a 14-9 overall record. It was the last match for seniors Laura Holterbosch and Margarita Kotok. The duo leaves as just the second MAC Championship team in program history. Four players will finish with at least 19 singles victories, while two doubles pair had at least 18 wins, including Kotok and Tanja Stojanovska, who finished with 26 victories.
Ohio State 4, Buffalo 0
Singles competition
1. #1 Francesca Di Lorenzo (OSUW) def. Tanja Stojanovska (BUFFALO) 6-0, 6-0
2. #67 Anna Sanford (OSUW) vs. Chantal Martinez Blanco (BUFFALO) 6-1, 5-2, unfinished
3. #95 Gabriella De Santis (OSUW) def. Emel Abibula (BUFFALO) 6-2, 6-3
4. #91 Miho Kowase (OSUW) vs. Mercedes Losada Rubio (BUFFALO) 6-4, 5-0, unfinished
5. #112 Sandy Niehaus (OSUW) def. Anna Savchenko (BUFFALO) 6-2, 6-1
6. Ferny Angeles Paz (OSUW) vs. Sanjana Sudhir (BUFFALO) 6-0, 5-1, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. #18 Francesca Di Lorenzo/Miho Kowase (OSUW) def. Tanja Stojanovska/Margarita Kotok (BUFFALO) 6-1
2. Sandy Niehaus/Anna Sanford (OSUW) def. Chantal Martinez Blanco/Anna Savchenko (BUFFALO) 6-1
3. Gabriella De Santis/Ferny Angeles Paz (OSUW) vs. Laura Holterbosch/Mercedes Losada Rubio (BUFFALO) 5-1, unfinished
