Women’s Tennis: No. 10 Ohio State begins Big Ten Tournament journey

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Fri, 28 Apr 2023 18:35:48 +0000
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Then-junior Irina Cantos Siemers pumps her first during the Ohio State-Michigan match April 1, 2022. Ohio State won 4-3. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Lantern File Photo

The No. 10 Buckeyes are looking for redemption in their journey to claim a Big Ten Tournament Championship in West Lafayette, Indiana, but their road to the title will not be an easy one.

After falling just short in the championship the previous season, Ohio State (18-6, 10-1 Big Ten) earned a double bye in the tournament and are the No. 2 seed after only suffering a single defeat in Big Ten play.

Top-seeded No. 5 Michigan (20-3, 11-0 Big Ten) was responsible for snapping Ohio State’s 29-match regular season conference winning streak earlier this year on April 16.

Recently named 2023 Big Ten Player of the Year, senior Irina Cantos Siemers said having trust in one another is what it will take for the Buckeyes to finally get over the hump in a potential championship match versus the Wolverines.

“We were very close last time, and I think it was a question of timing when [Lucia Marzal] lost that fourth point, Shelley [Bereznyak] and Dani [Schoenly] were up, and that would have been forced to me and then that becomes a really close match” Cantos Siemers said. “We just have to trust what we’ve been working on the entirety of the season and believe in it.”

Ohio State is being careful not to overlook any opponent as its priority is defeating No. 10 seed Nebraska (16-9, 4- 7 Big Ten) who won its matchup against No. 7 seed Purdue 4-3 to advance. Nebraska was swept 4-0 by Ohio State in the regular season matchup, but assistant coach Adam Cohen said the Buckeyes must be cautious in tournament play.

“When it comes to tournament play everybody is fighting for their lives,” Cohen said. “We have to be ready to expect everybody’s best shot, and we tell our group that all the time.”

An Illinois team (17-8, 8-3 Big Ten) boasting the No. 20 doubles team of junior Kate Duong and sophomore Megan Heuser also serves as a tough potential semifinal matchup. The Buckeyes have not faced Illinois in multiple years, and Illinois had only suffered a single conference loss before dropping two matches last weekend.

Cohen had high praise when describing what the Fighting Illini bring to the table.

“They’ve got good players all the way down and played Michigan really tough at home,” Cohen said. “They maybe didn’t have their best last weekend, so I think they will be wanting to prove themselves.”

A Big Ten tournament championship would be a significant feat for any team, but this year feels extra important to the Buckeyes as their group of seven senior and graduate players is looking to go out on a high note and redeem last year’s championship defeat.

Cantos Siemers said a Big Ten Championship would mean a lot more than just a title to her and her teammates.

“Last year when we lost in the championship against Michigan, it was heartbreaking,” Cantos Siemers said. “It’s the last year for a lot of my teammates, and I think we all want to leave that legacy for when we leave so this year is a special one.”

The Buckeyes’ mission to leave a legacy will start with Nebraska at 3 p.m. Friday in West Lafayette and will look to end with them holding the trophy high on Sunday.