TEMPE, Ariz. – In their second-straight match against a top-10 ranked opponent, the Arizona State women's tennis team – ranked No. 35 in the country – was unsuccessful in capturing an upset at Whiteman Tennis Center.
Sunday's matinee showdown with No. 2 Ohio State (13-1) led to ASU's (5-3) first shutout loss of the season, as the Buckeyes won in clinch-clinch, 4-0.
"I felt we didn't come out very well in the doubles, with just too many unforced errors and not enough energy," said said head coach Sheila McInerney. "We bounced back well in singles though. They're a great team and fight really hard. Kassidy played a great first set, Kelley and Nicole was in a third set, but overall I thought we came back well after the doubles point."
After dropping their first doubles point all season on Friday to No. 9 Pepperdine, the Sun Devils again couldn't jump out to an early lead, as the Buckeyes rolled to a 6-2 win on court two followed by the doubles-clinching point on court one, 6-3.
As singles began, four of the six first sets began in favor OSU, while No. 79 Kassidy Jump was pushing No. 1 Francesca Di Lorenzo the brink in the first frame.
After jumping out to a 5-3 lead, Di Lorenzo slowly let Jump back into the match with three-straight points and into a 6-5 deficit. With a 40-15 advantage, Di Lorenzo took advantage of two double faults by Jump and tied it at 6-6. In the seven-point tiebreak, Di Lorenzo grinded it out for a 7-5 win for the first-set victory.
That momentum translated right into set two, as Di Lorenzo won six-straight to win 7-6(5), 6-0. Her victory ended up clinching the match.
Prior to the match-clinching point, No. 42 Miho Kowase – the Buckeyes second-highest ranked player -- won in straight sets over freshman Savannah Slaysman on court five, 6-2, 6-4, to put Ohio State up 2-0.
Court two featured a ranked showdown between No. 53 Anna Sanford of OSU and No. 72 Sammi Hampton. The two went back and forth in the first set through the first six points, which was followed by three-straight points for the eventual 6-4 win. Set two went nearly the same way, with Sanford going on a small run early in route to another 6-4 victory and a 3-0 lead for the Buckeye women.
Courts three, four and six all went abandoned with the first two ending while in the third set.
The Devils open up Pac-12 play this coming weekend at Whiteman, as they host Utah and Colorado on Friday, March 10 and Saturday, March 11, respectively. Friday's match versus Utah begins at 1:30 p.m. MST, while Saturday starts at 12 p.m.
#2 Ohio State – 4, #35 Arizona State – 0
Whiteman Tennis Center
Sunday, March 5
Doubles
1. Di Lorenzo/Sanford (OSU) def. #36 Osborne/Fossa-Huergo (ASU) – 6-3
2. #47 De Santis/Niehaus (OSU) def. Anderson/Slaysman (ASU) – 6-2
3. Jump/Hampton (ASU) vs. Kowase/Angeles Paz (OSU) – 3-5 (Aband)
Order of Finish: 2, 1
Singles
1. #1 Francesca Di Lorenzo (OSU) def. #79 Kassidy Jump (ASU) – 7-6(5), 6-0
2. #53 Anna Sanford (OSU) def. #72 Sammi Hampton (ASU) – 6-4, 6-4
3. Kelley Anderson (ASU) vs. #57 Gabriela De Santis (OSU) – 2-6, 6-2, 2-2 (Aband)
4. Nicole Fossa Huergo (ASU) vs. #84 Sandy Niehaus (OSU) – 6-3, 4-6, 0-2 (Aband)
5. #42 Miho Kowase (OSU) def. Savannah Slaysman (ASU) – 6-2, 6-4
6. Gussie O'Sullivan (ASU) vs. #120 Ferny Angeles Paz (OSU) – 1-6, 4-5 (Aband)
Order of Finish: 5, 2, 1
Sunday's matinee showdown with No. 2 Ohio State (13-1) led to ASU's (5-3) first shutout loss of the season, as the Buckeyes won in clinch-clinch, 4-0.
"I felt we didn't come out very well in the doubles, with just too many unforced errors and not enough energy," said said head coach Sheila McInerney. "We bounced back well in singles though. They're a great team and fight really hard. Kassidy played a great first set, Kelley and Nicole was in a third set, but overall I thought we came back well after the doubles point."
After dropping their first doubles point all season on Friday to No. 9 Pepperdine, the Sun Devils again couldn't jump out to an early lead, as the Buckeyes rolled to a 6-2 win on court two followed by the doubles-clinching point on court one, 6-3.
As singles began, four of the six first sets began in favor OSU, while No. 79 Kassidy Jump was pushing No. 1 Francesca Di Lorenzo the brink in the first frame.
After jumping out to a 5-3 lead, Di Lorenzo slowly let Jump back into the match with three-straight points and into a 6-5 deficit. With a 40-15 advantage, Di Lorenzo took advantage of two double faults by Jump and tied it at 6-6. In the seven-point tiebreak, Di Lorenzo grinded it out for a 7-5 win for the first-set victory.
That momentum translated right into set two, as Di Lorenzo won six-straight to win 7-6(5), 6-0. Her victory ended up clinching the match.
Prior to the match-clinching point, No. 42 Miho Kowase – the Buckeyes second-highest ranked player -- won in straight sets over freshman Savannah Slaysman on court five, 6-2, 6-4, to put Ohio State up 2-0.
Court two featured a ranked showdown between No. 53 Anna Sanford of OSU and No. 72 Sammi Hampton. The two went back and forth in the first set through the first six points, which was followed by three-straight points for the eventual 6-4 win. Set two went nearly the same way, with Sanford going on a small run early in route to another 6-4 victory and a 3-0 lead for the Buckeye women.
Courts three, four and six all went abandoned with the first two ending while in the third set.
The Devils open up Pac-12 play this coming weekend at Whiteman, as they host Utah and Colorado on Friday, March 10 and Saturday, March 11, respectively. Friday's match versus Utah begins at 1:30 p.m. MST, while Saturday starts at 12 p.m.
#2 Ohio State – 4, #35 Arizona State – 0
Whiteman Tennis Center
Sunday, March 5
Doubles
1. Di Lorenzo/Sanford (OSU) def. #36 Osborne/Fossa-Huergo (ASU) – 6-3
2. #47 De Santis/Niehaus (OSU) def. Anderson/Slaysman (ASU) – 6-2
3. Jump/Hampton (ASU) vs. Kowase/Angeles Paz (OSU) – 3-5 (Aband)
Order of Finish: 2, 1
Singles
1. #1 Francesca Di Lorenzo (OSU) def. #79 Kassidy Jump (ASU) – 7-6(5), 6-0
2. #53 Anna Sanford (OSU) def. #72 Sammi Hampton (ASU) – 6-4, 6-4
3. Kelley Anderson (ASU) vs. #57 Gabriela De Santis (OSU) – 2-6, 6-2, 2-2 (Aband)
4. Nicole Fossa Huergo (ASU) vs. #84 Sandy Niehaus (OSU) – 6-3, 4-6, 0-2 (Aband)
5. #42 Miho Kowase (OSU) def. Savannah Slaysman (ASU) – 6-2, 6-4
6. Gussie O'Sullivan (ASU) vs. #120 Ferny Angeles Paz (OSU) – 1-6, 4-5 (Aband)
Order of Finish: 5, 2, 1