YSU Faces Tall Task In NCAA Opener at Top-Ranked USC
5/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
The Youngstown State women's tennis team will open NCAA Regional play on Saturday afternoon against top-seeded USC. The dual match at Marks Stadium is slated to begin at 3 p.m./Noon Pacific time.
The Penguins (17-8) have won a school-record 11 straight matches entering their contest with the Women of Troy. USC (21-2) is the NCAA Tournament's top seed, is ranked No. 1 in the ITA final regular-season poll, and like YSU has won 11 consecutive contests. The Women of Troy are 10-0 at home this season and have won 16 straight duals at Marks Stadium.
The winner of the match advances to face No. 32 Virginia Tech (16-9) or 38th-ranked Long Beach State (18-5) in the regional final on Sunday. The NCAA Tennis Team Championships are set for May 15-19 in Waco, Texas.
Last year, YSU dropped a 4-0 decision at fourth-seed Virginia in the opening round. The Penguins hung tough with the Cavaliers, who eventually advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals. UVA had four players ranked in the top 76 in its lineup. In 2014, USC defeated Idaho and Michigan at home before falling in the Sweet 16 at Georgia.
Leading the Guins into the postseason are Horizon League Player of the Year Marta Burak and first-team all-league selection Dominika Lackova. Lackova has won her last 11 matches while Burak has won 10 straight.
Last year against Virginia, Burak hung tough with eventual NCAA singles champion Danielle Collins. Burak dropped the opening set 6-3 and trailed just 2-1 in the second. Lackova dropped a 6-0, 6-3 match to the Cavaliers in her NCAA debut.
Four of the members of YSU's singles lineup competed in last year's regional as Burak, Lackova, Annina Brendel and Nehel Sahni were part of the squad.
This year, Brendel won a career-high 20 matches, including 18 this past spring. She enters the matchup against USC on a six-match win streak. Sahni won the first set of her NCAA match at Virginia a year ago.
The NCAA newcomers are Julianna Heino and Sofia Macias Mendoza. Heino won the Horizon-League championship clinching point in the victory over Detroit. Macias has been strong at the back end of the lineup and has won eight of her last 10 matches.
USC, which is making its 24th straight NCAA appearance, has a powerful lineup with five members advancing to the NCAA Championships in singles and doubles competition. Those selected for singles play include 14th-ranked Giuliana Olmos, No. 24 Sabrina Santamaria, 38th-ranked Zoë Scandalis and No. 57 Madison Westby. Additionally, the Women of Troy have the No. 77 and No. 78 ranked players in Gabby Smith and Meredith Xepoleas.
The doubles tandem of Olmos and Scandalis enter the NCAA Regionals ranked 20th while Zoë Katz and Santamaria have been ranked in the top 25 throughout the spring. In their last dual, the Women of Troy beat fifth-ranked UCLA, 4-3 on April 16.
The Penguins have not lost since March 21 and their win streak includes 10 against Horizon League foes. After running the table for the first time in Horizon League play winning all eight matches, YSU knocked off UIC in the opening round of the tournament before rallying for a 4-2 win over Detroit in the title tilt.
