2014 National Indoor Team Championships
Ohio State Buckeyes Capture First National Indoor Team Crown
First national title for the Buckeyes. Photo ohiostatebuckeyes.com
ohiostatebuckeyes.com: February 26, 2014 Houston, Texas - The fifth-ranked Ohio State men’s tennis team captured its first ITA National Team Indoor Championship title with an impressive performance Monday for a 4-1 win over No. 3 USC in Houston, Texas.
Guided by director of tennis and head coach Ty Tucker, the Buckeyes defeated four Top 25 teams, including two Top 5 programs en route to the national title and are now 13-0 overall in 2014 to put Ohio State at its best start to a season in program history.
The Scarlet and Gray captured the doubles point and three of the four completed singles matches to defeat the Trojans, whose last loss was to Ohio State in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Team Championships last May.
Redshirt freshman Ralf Steinbach (Halle, Germany) clinched the championship for Ohio State with a 6-5 (7-4), 6-4 win over Connor Farren on court No. 4. Steinbach was down 3-0 and 4-2 in the tiebreaker before reeling off five consecutive points. The win improves Steinbach’s record to 10-1 on the season, with the Buckeye winning seven consecutive matches.
In doubles action, the No. 2 duo of Kobelt (New Albany, Ohio) and Kevin Metka (Worthington, Ohio) were first off court, defeating No. 25 Yannick Hanfmann and Ray Sarmiento 6-4 on court No. 1. Redshirt sophomore Chris Diaz (Columbus, Ohio) and Steinbach clinched the doubles point for the Buckeyes on court No. 3 with a 6-4 win over Eric Johnson and Max De Vroome. Redshirt junior Hunter Callahan (Lower Gwynedd, Pennsylvania) and freshman Herkko Pollanen (Helsinki, Finland) were trailing 3-5 on court No. 2 against Roberto Quiroz and Farren when play was called.
In the semi-finals, the No. 3 USC men's tennis team replicated last year's big semifinal win over rival UCLA with a 4-3 victory over the No. 2 Bruins in that same round of the ITA National Team Indoor Championships. Junior Yannick Hanfmann followed up a powerful effort in doubles alongside teammate Ray Sarmiento for the clinching upset to take the doubles point with a spectacular finish in singles. It was Hanfmann's big win -- a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 upset of UCLA's #5 Marcos Giron -- that sealed the deal on the Trojan victory.
Ohio State men’s team upset top-ranked Virginia Cavaliers in the semifinals 4-3. The win vs. the Cavaliers also snaps a 36-match win streak for Virginia.
Final
No. 5 Ohio State 4, No. 3 USC 1
Singles Competition
1. #23 Peter Kobelt (OSU) def. #7 Ray Sarmiento (USC) 6-3, 6-4
2. #16 Yannick Hanfmann (USC) def. Chris Diaz (OSU) 6-5 (7-4), 6-3
3. Herkko Pollanen (OSU) vs. Roberto Quiroz (USC) 3-6, 5-4, unfinished
4. Ralf Steinbach (OSU) def. Connor Farren (USC) 6-5 (7-4), 6-4
5. Kevin Metka (OSU) vs. Max De Vroome (USC) 5-6 (5-7), 4-5, unfinished
6. Hunter Callahan (OSU) def. #47 Jonny Wang (USC) 6-3, 6-4
Doubles Competition
1. #7 P Kobelt/K Metka (OSU) def. #25 Y Hanfmann/R Sarmiento (USC) 6-4
2. H Callahan/H Pollanen (OSU) def. R Quiroz/C Farren (USC) 3-5, unf.
3. C Diaz/R Steinbach (OSU) def. E Johnson/M De Vroome (USC) 6-4
Semi-finals
No. 5 Ohio State 4, No.1 Virginia 3
Singles Competition
1. #23 Peter Kobelt (OSU) def. #3 Mitchell Frank (UVA) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
2. Alex Domijan (UVA) def. Chris Diaz (OSU) 6-1, 5-6 (1-7), 6-4
3. Ryan Shane (UVA) def. Herkko Pollanen (OSU) 6-2, 6-5 (7-5)
4. Ralf Steinbach (OSU) def. Justin Shane (UVA) 4-6, 6-2, 6-5 (7-5)
5. Kevin Metka (OSU) def. T Kwiatkowski (UVA) 6-5(7-5) 5-6(5-7) 6-5(12-10)
6. Hunter Callahan (OSU) def. No. 62 Jordan Diagle 6-3, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. #2 P Kobelt/K Metka (OSU) def. A Domijan/J Shane (UVA) 6-3
2. M Frank/L Cortineli def. H Callahan/H Pollanen (OSU) 6-2
3. M Styslinger/T Kwiatkowski def. C Diaz/R Steinbach (OSU) 6-5 (7-1)
Semi-finals
No.3 USC 4, No..2 UCLA 3
Doubles Competition
(1) #35 Hanfmann/Sarmiento (USC) def. #9 Giron/McDonald (UCLA) - 6-4
(2) Farren/Quiroz (USC) vs. Di Giulio/Thompson (UCLA) - 4-5 susp.
(3) de Vroome/Johnson (USC) def. Brymer/Sell (UCLA) - 6-4
USC wins doubles point.
Singles Competition
(1) #1 Clay Thompson (UCLA) def. #7 Ray Sarmiento (USC) - 6-2, 6-5 (5)
(2) #16 Yannick Hanfmann (USC) def. #5 Marcos Giron (UCLA) - 6-3, 3-6, 6-3*
(3) Roberto Quiroz (USC) def. #51 Mackenzie McDonald (UCLA) - 6-2, 6-4
(4) #26 Gage Brymer (UCLA) def. Connor Farren (USC) - 6-4, 6-4
(5) Max de Vroome (USC) def. Dennis Mkrtchian (UCLA) - 6-3, 6-0
(6) Joseph Di Giulio (UCLA) def. Michael Grant (USC) - 6-2, 6-3
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