ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
After reading about a report on USCs recent NCAA championship run I noticed that they did have 3 losses and I wondered who actually beat those guys. The answer is UCLA (2) and Ohio State. Ohio State is actually the only team with a winning record (1-0) against USC this season, as UCLA was 2-2. The accounting of the Ohio State - USC match makes an interesting read, and this is from USC's site:
No. 3 USC Men Finish As Runner-Up At ITA National Team Indoor Championships
HOUSTON, TEXAS -- The No. 3 USC men's tennis team was ousted by an upset-minded No. 5 Ohio State squad today in the championship match of the ITA National Team Indoor Championships in Houston. The Trojans had come into the match on a high note after an upset of their rival UCLA in yesterday's semifinals. But the Buckeyes, too, had flexed some muscle the previous day in upsetting top-seeded Virginia. Today, Ohio State took the doubles point and stayed the course, with Yannick Hanfmann the only Trojan able to pull off a win before the Buckeyes captured the title with a 4-1 victory. USC goes to 7-1 overall with its first loss of the year. It was USC's third consecutive trip to the ITA National Indoor title match, having won it all in 2012 and having fallen to Virginia last season.
Doubles play went the way of the Buckeyes when their #2-ranked pair of Kobelt/Metka held strong against USC's #35 Hanfmann/Sarmiento to post a 6-4 win out of the gates. USC's Farren/Quiroz were pressing the issue on court two, up 5-3 on their opponents, but Ohio State would steal away the first point with a 6-4 decision at the No. 3 spot with Diaz/Steinbach beating out Trojans de Vroome/Johnson.
In singles action, USC and Ohio State would split on first-set victories down the line. On court six, Buckeye Hunter Callahan would continue his momentum and wrap up a 6-3, 6-4 win over USC's #47 Jonny Wang to bump Ohio State to a 2-0 lead. Ringing up USC's first point was junior Yannick Hanfmann -- hero of yesterday's big win over rival UCLA in the semifinals. #16 Hanfmann upended Ohio State's Chris Diaz with a 6-5, 6-3 win at the No. 2 spot, and USC was within reach, down 2-1. The Buckeyes and a quick comeback, however, jumping out ahead 3-1 when #23 Peter Kobelt fended of USC's #7 Ray Sarmiento in posting a 6-3, 6-4 win on court one. Before the Trojans could answer back, it was Ohio State that closed in on the win, taking the title when Ralf Steinbach topped USC freshman Connor Farren 6-5, 6-4 on court four, leaving USC's Roberto Quiroz and Max de Vroome ahead but suspended as the match wrapped up.
The Trojans now return home to Marks Stadium to do battle in a Friday (Feb. 21) doubleheader. USC will face UC Santa Barbara first at 11 a.m. before taking on UC Davis at 3 p.m. that day.
2014 ITA All-Tournament Team - Singles
1. Søren Hess-Olesen (Texas)
2. Alex Domijan (Virginia)
3. Roberto Quiroz (USC)
4. Ralf Steinbach (Ohio State)
5. Kevin Metka (Ohio State)
6. Hunter Callahan (Ohio State)
2014 ITA All-Tournament Team - Doubles
1. Peter Kobelt / Kevin Metka (Ohio State)
2. Roberto Quiroz / Connor Farren (USC)
3. Thai-Son Kwiatkowski / Mac Styslinger (Virginia)
ITA NATIONAL TEAM INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS (Houston, Texas)
CHAMPIONSHIP
#5 Ohio State 4, #3 USC 1
Feb. 17, 2014 - Houston, Texas (Downtown Club at the Met)
DOUBLES
(1) #2 Kobelt/Metka (OHST) def. #35 Hanfmann/Sarmiento (USC) - 6-4
(2) Farren/Quiroz (USC) vs. Callahan/Pollanen (OHST) - 5-3 susp.
(3) Daz/Steinbach (OHST) def. de Vroome/Johnson (USC) - 6-4
Ohio State wins doubles point.
Order of finish: 1, 3
SINGLES
(1) #23 Peter Kobelt (OHST) def. #7 Ray Sarmiento (USC) - 6-3, 6-4
(2) #16 Yannick Hanfmann (USC) def. Chris Diaz (OHST) - 6-5 (4), 6-3
(3) Roberto Quiroz (USC) vs. Herkko Pollanen (OHST) - 6-2, 4-5 susp.
(4) Ralf Steinbach (OHST) def. Connor Farren (USC) - 6-5 (4), 6-4*
(5) Max de Vroome (USC) vs. Kevin Metka (OHST) - 6-5 (5), 5-4 susp.
(6) Hunter Callahan (OHST) def. Jonny Wang (USC) - 6-3, 6-4
Order of finish: 6, 2, 1, 4*
http://www.usctrojans.com/sports/m-tennis/recaps/021714aaa.html
Maybe Ohio State just had more "favorable match ups" against USC, our strengths against their weaknesses. Maybe the Ohio State team played the games of their life. Maybe USC just wasn't as good (back then) and improved much more than the other teams over the course of the season. Maybe the entire USC team took Ohio State for granted was was out drinking the night before the match. However, I do believe that the 2013/2014 Ohio State can play with anyone in the country; and on 17 Feb 2014 did beat the eventual outdoor champions (4-1). You will note that 3 Ohio State players (Ralf Steinbach, Kevin Metka, & Hunter Callahan) and one double team (Kobelt/Metka) made the ITA All Tournament Team.
Anyway this was a very good year for the Ohio State Men's Tennis Team. Next year could be even better as everybody but Kobelt (only Senior on the team) can potentially be back.
http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-tennis/mtt/osu-m-tennis-mtt.html
And the year isn't over for everyone, as gracelink pointed out in above post, Kobelt is in the singles tournament and Kobelt/Metka is in the doubles tournament.
No. 3 USC Men Finish As Runner-Up At ITA National Team Indoor Championships
HOUSTON, TEXAS -- The No. 3 USC men's tennis team was ousted by an upset-minded No. 5 Ohio State squad today in the championship match of the ITA National Team Indoor Championships in Houston. The Trojans had come into the match on a high note after an upset of their rival UCLA in yesterday's semifinals. But the Buckeyes, too, had flexed some muscle the previous day in upsetting top-seeded Virginia. Today, Ohio State took the doubles point and stayed the course, with Yannick Hanfmann the only Trojan able to pull off a win before the Buckeyes captured the title with a 4-1 victory. USC goes to 7-1 overall with its first loss of the year. It was USC's third consecutive trip to the ITA National Indoor title match, having won it all in 2012 and having fallen to Virginia last season.
Doubles play went the way of the Buckeyes when their #2-ranked pair of Kobelt/Metka held strong against USC's #35 Hanfmann/Sarmiento to post a 6-4 win out of the gates. USC's Farren/Quiroz were pressing the issue on court two, up 5-3 on their opponents, but Ohio State would steal away the first point with a 6-4 decision at the No. 3 spot with Diaz/Steinbach beating out Trojans de Vroome/Johnson.
In singles action, USC and Ohio State would split on first-set victories down the line. On court six, Buckeye Hunter Callahan would continue his momentum and wrap up a 6-3, 6-4 win over USC's #47 Jonny Wang to bump Ohio State to a 2-0 lead. Ringing up USC's first point was junior Yannick Hanfmann -- hero of yesterday's big win over rival UCLA in the semifinals. #16 Hanfmann upended Ohio State's Chris Diaz with a 6-5, 6-3 win at the No. 2 spot, and USC was within reach, down 2-1. The Buckeyes and a quick comeback, however, jumping out ahead 3-1 when #23 Peter Kobelt fended of USC's #7 Ray Sarmiento in posting a 6-3, 6-4 win on court one. Before the Trojans could answer back, it was Ohio State that closed in on the win, taking the title when Ralf Steinbach topped USC freshman Connor Farren 6-5, 6-4 on court four, leaving USC's Roberto Quiroz and Max de Vroome ahead but suspended as the match wrapped up.
The Trojans now return home to Marks Stadium to do battle in a Friday (Feb. 21) doubleheader. USC will face UC Santa Barbara first at 11 a.m. before taking on UC Davis at 3 p.m. that day.
2014 ITA All-Tournament Team - Singles
1. Søren Hess-Olesen (Texas)
2. Alex Domijan (Virginia)
3. Roberto Quiroz (USC)
4. Ralf Steinbach (Ohio State)
5. Kevin Metka (Ohio State)
6. Hunter Callahan (Ohio State)
2014 ITA All-Tournament Team - Doubles
1. Peter Kobelt / Kevin Metka (Ohio State)
2. Roberto Quiroz / Connor Farren (USC)
3. Thai-Son Kwiatkowski / Mac Styslinger (Virginia)
ITA NATIONAL TEAM INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS (Houston, Texas)
CHAMPIONSHIP
#5 Ohio State 4, #3 USC 1
Feb. 17, 2014 - Houston, Texas (Downtown Club at the Met)
DOUBLES
(1) #2 Kobelt/Metka (OHST) def. #35 Hanfmann/Sarmiento (USC) - 6-4
(2) Farren/Quiroz (USC) vs. Callahan/Pollanen (OHST) - 5-3 susp.
(3) Daz/Steinbach (OHST) def. de Vroome/Johnson (USC) - 6-4
Ohio State wins doubles point.
Order of finish: 1, 3
SINGLES
(1) #23 Peter Kobelt (OHST) def. #7 Ray Sarmiento (USC) - 6-3, 6-4
(2) #16 Yannick Hanfmann (USC) def. Chris Diaz (OHST) - 6-5 (4), 6-3
(3) Roberto Quiroz (USC) vs. Herkko Pollanen (OHST) - 6-2, 4-5 susp.
(4) Ralf Steinbach (OHST) def. Connor Farren (USC) - 6-5 (4), 6-4*
(5) Max de Vroome (USC) vs. Kevin Metka (OHST) - 6-5 (5), 5-4 susp.
(6) Hunter Callahan (OHST) def. Jonny Wang (USC) - 6-3, 6-4
Order of finish: 6, 2, 1, 4*
http://www.usctrojans.com/sports/m-tennis/recaps/021714aaa.html
Maybe Ohio State just had more "favorable match ups" against USC, our strengths against their weaknesses. Maybe the Ohio State team played the games of their life. Maybe USC just wasn't as good (back then) and improved much more than the other teams over the course of the season. Maybe the entire USC team took Ohio State for granted was was out drinking the night before the match. However, I do believe that the 2013/2014 Ohio State can play with anyone in the country; and on 17 Feb 2014 did beat the eventual outdoor champions (4-1). You will note that 3 Ohio State players (Ralf Steinbach, Kevin Metka, & Hunter Callahan) and one double team (Kobelt/Metka) made the ITA All Tournament Team.
Anyway this was a very good year for the Ohio State Men's Tennis Team. Next year could be even better as everybody but Kobelt (only Senior on the team) can potentially be back.
http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-tennis/mtt/osu-m-tennis-mtt.html
And the year isn't over for everyone, as gracelink pointed out in above post, Kobelt is in the singles tournament and Kobelt/Metka is in the doubles tournament.
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