Sunday, 04/01/2012

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women’s tennis team nabbed a Big Ten road win with a 4-3 victory over Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, Sunday afternoon.

The Buckeyes (6-12, 1-4 Big Ten) used a pair of doubles wins and a trio of singles victories to take the match. The Scarlet and Gray have won four of the last five against Iowa (7-9, 1-4 Big Ten).

Ohio State returns home this weekend to face Wisconsin at 3 p.m. Friday and Minnesota at 11 a.m. Sunday. Both matches are scheduled to be played in the new Ohio State University Varsity Outdoor Tennis Center.

The teams split doubles decisions on courts one and three to open the match after an hour delay because of wet courts. The Buckeye duo of Kelsey Dieters and Tiffany Dittmer downed Ally Majercik and Shelby Talcott, 8-3, on court three before the Hawkeyes struck back with Morven McCulloch and Sonja Molnar’s 8-6 win over Fidan Manashirova and Gabby Steele on court one.

Ohio State’s No. 2 tandem of Kara Cecil and Kelsey Haviland sealed the 1-0 lead for the Buckeyes by defeating Ellen Silver and Katie Zordani, 8-6. The Buckeyes are 6-2 this season when they earn the doubles point.

The Hawkeyes responded quickly in singles, earning a pair of straight-set wins to take a 2-1 lead before Manashirova tied the match with a 6-4, 6-0 victory over McCulloch on court three.

Ohio State clinched the match in a flurry afterward as Haviland and Dieters took back-to-back wins in a matter of minutes to set the score at 4-2. Haviland closed out a 6-4, 7-5 win over Talcott on court two before Dieters provided the winning decision, downing Christina Harazin, 6-2, 7-6, on court five.

Tennis Match Results
Ohio State Buckeyes vs Iowa Hawkeyes
Apr 01, 2012 at Iowa City, Iowa
(Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex)

Ohio State Buckeyes 4, Iowa Hawkeyes 3

Singles competition

1. #115 Sonja Molnar (IOWA) def. Kara Cecil (OSU) 6-2, 6-2
2. Kelsey Haviland (OSU) def. Shelby Talcott (IOWA) 6-4, 7-5
3. Fidan Manashirova (OSU) def. Morven McCulloch (IOWA) 6-4, 6-0
4. Katie Zordani (IOWA) def. Gabby Steele (OSU) 6-3, 6-4
5. Kelsey Dieters (OSU) def. Christina Harazin (IOWA) 6-2, 7-6
6. Ellen Silver (IOWA) def. Tiffany Dittmer (OSU) 3-6, 7-6, 6-2

Doubles competition

1. Morven McCulloch/Sonja Molnar (IOWA) def. Fidan Manashirova/Gabby Steele (OSU) 8-6
2. Kara Cecil/Kelsey Haviland (OSU) def. Ellen Silver/Katie Zordani (IOWA) 8-6
3. Kelsey Dieters/Tiffany Dittmer (OSU) def. Ally Majercik/Shelby Talcott (IOWA) 8-3

Match Notes:

Ohio State Buckeyes 6-12, 1-4
Iowa Hawkeyes 7-9, 1-4
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (1,4,3,2,5,6)