Ohio State excellence is not exclusive to the football field or the basketball court. Around the Oval is our way of keeping you informed of the amazing things happening with the other 34 varsity sports on campus.
National Champion
The scarlet and gray have their first national championship of the 2015-16 season – freshman Francesca Di Lorenzo won the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championship, Sunday afternoon.
After earning a wildcard spot, the top rated freshman in college tennis by ITA defeated three seeded players – the No. 8 seed, the No. 3 seed and the No. 6 seed – on her way to the indoor championship. She dropped just one set in her five matches.
"It's definitely an exciting way to finish out the fall; it could've have ended any better," Di Lorenzo told ITATennis.com. "I'm just happy to represent my school and this was a really cool moment."
Di Lorenzo's championship is the first national title in Ohio State women's tennis history.
The Buckeyes will open their dual match season Jan. 16 with a doubleheader against Xavier and Bowling Green at the Varsity Tennis Center in Columbus.
Survive and Advance
OSU forward Sammy Edwards scored the 2-OT game-winner against Butler (photo via Ohio State Atheltics)
Thanks to a Sammy Edwards' goal in the 107th minute, the Ohio State women's soccer team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a 2-1 double-overtime victory over Butler.
“I’m proud of this team and the energy the found in overtime to find a way to get a win," said Buckeye head coach Lori Walker in an Ohio State release. "We’ve been in overtime multiple times this year and I think that gave us the confidence to come out on top. I’m really pleased we have the opportunity to advance.”
The Buckeyes are no strangers to overtime thrillers – Saturday's match was the team's sixth overtime finish of the season. They're undefeated in such matches with a record of 3-0-3.
Next up for Ohio State is No. 14 and fourth-seeded Virginia Tech, Friday at 3 p.m. in State College, Pennsylvania. With a win, the Buckeyes will face either Penn State or Boston College in the Sweet Sixteen.
The full NCAA Tournament Bracket can be see here.
Men's Soccer
The Ohio State men's soccer team fell short of the Big Ten Tournament title, losing to Maryland 2-0 in the final Sunday afternoon.
"This was like an NCAA Tournament game," said Ohio State head coach John Bluem. "We are going to play against quality teams similar to how Maryland played today. We need to adjust to a higher level of intensity as we move forward."
The loss ended the Buckeyes' nine-match home winning streak, but the team is still in great shape heading into the national postseason.
OSU is the overall No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and received a first-round bye. They will host the winner of Dayton v. Oakland, Sunday at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
Ohio State's season got off to a rough start. The team lost four straight matches to un-ranked opponents and managed just one goal over the stretch. A mid-September match against No. 4 Akron proved to be the season's turning point. The match ended in a draw, and the Buckeyes went on to lose just 2 of their next 16 matches and win their first Big Ten Regular Season Title since 2009.
The full NCAA Tournament Bracket can be see here.
Other Scores and News
- Women's Basketball: Fell to No. 2 South Carolina, 88-80.
- Men's Hockey: Swept Canisius 4-1 and 6-4.
- Women's Hockey: Split a series with No. 6 North Dakota winning the first game 3-2 and dropping the second 4-1.
- Women's Volleyball: Defeated Illinois 3-1, but fell to Michigan 3-0.
- Wrestling: Defeated Virginia 34-6 in season opener.
- Men's Swimming: Defeated Cleveland State, Miami (Oh) and Eastern Michigan.
- Women's Swimming: Defeated Cleveland State, Miami (Oh) and Eastern Michigan.
- Men's Cross Country: Finished 10th at NCAA Great Lakes Regional with 271 points.
- Women's Cross Country: Finished 8th at NCAA Great Lakes Regional with 238 points.
This Week's Happenings
- Women's Soccer: Faces Virginia Tech in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Friday at 3 p.m. in State College, Pa.
- Men's Soccer: Faces () in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
- Women's Basketball: Hosts No. 1 and three-time defending national champion Connecticut, Monday evening at 5:30.
- Men's Hockey: Travels to face Nebraska-Omaha Friday and Saturday.
- Women's Hockey: Visit St. Cloud State, Friday and Saturday.
- Women's Volleyball: Travels to face Iowa, Wednesday and Wisconsin, Sunday.
- Wrestling: Hosts Arizona State, Friday.
- Men's Swimming: Hosts Ohio State Invitational Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
- Women's Swimming: Hosts Ohio State Invitational Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
