Saturday, May 11
Columbus, Ohio
1 p.m.
Columbia University
at
Ohio State
Photo by: Columbia University Athletics/Mike McLaughlin
Lions Travel to Face Top-Seeded Ohio State Saturday in NCAA Super Regional
5/9/2019 4:21:00 PM | Men's Tennis
No. 16 Columbia will take on No. 1 Ohio State in the Sweet 16 on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Columbus, Ohio
NEW YORK — Postseason play continues Saturday for the No. 16 seed Columbia men's tennis team, hitting the road to face No. 1 overall seed Ohio State in the NCAA Championship super regional in Columbus, Ohio at 1 p.m. ET.
The 2019 season marks the first year of the super-regional format, as the round of 16 was previously contested at the championship site. The winner of Saturday's bout will earn its trip to the USTA National Campus in Orlando where the remaining matches will be played as well as the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships.
Columbia (19-3, 7-0 Ivy League) advances to the super regional after taking down both Bryant and No. 34 Penn State, 4-0, in the first and second rounds in New York. Riding a 10-match win streak, the Lions mare making their second-consecutive and fourth-ever trip to the Sweet 16, all four of which have occurred in the last six years after accomplishing the feat for the first time in 2014.
The Lions are coming off their sixth-straight Ivy League title, having won the crown outright after recording an unbeaten record in conference play. Columbia started off the season with a trip to the ITA National Team Indoor Championship, qualifying for the 16-team event for the fourth time in five years. Despite falling to top-ranked Wake Forest in the opening match, Columbia bounced back with two big wins over then-No. 11 Notre Dame and then-No. 9. Baylor.
Columbia capped off the regular season with an unblemished 12-0 mark at home inside the Dick Savitt Tennis Center, including the 4-0 victory over Penn State in the NCAA second round last Saturday.
The Lions' only three losses of the 2019 campaign came on the road to teams ranked inside the top 10 of the ITA standings. All three of those teams (Wake Forest, Texas and TCU) are still competing in NCAA action this season after earning top-10 seeds.
LIONS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Columbia's roster features five singles players and three doubles tandems ranked by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Sophomore Jack Lin leads the way with a No. 22 singles ranking, followed by No. 37 Victor Pham, No. 107 Adam Ambrozy, No. 117 Rian Pandole and No. 125 Jackie Tang. Lin and Tang combine to form the No. 16 doubles team in the country, with No. 30 Lin/ William Matheson and No. 77 Ambrozy/Tang rounding out the ranked duos.
SCOUTING OHIO STATE
Ohio State (31-2, 11-0 Big Ten) earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament after winning the ITA National Indoor Team Championship in February and continuing on to claim both the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles.
The Buckeyes are undefeated at home, with their only two losses of the season coming at Texas (4-1) and at Texas A&M (4-3) in early March. Ohio State went on to post 15-straight wins, including their first and second round shutout victories over Cleveland State and Vanderbilt.
Leading the charge is junior JJ Wolf, who is ranked No. 2 in the nation in singles. Joining him in the singles rankings are No. 26 John McNally, No. 60 Kyle Seeling and No. 111 Martin Joyce. Four Buckeye duos are also ranked in doubles: No. 14 Hunter Tubert/Joyce, No. 23 Joyce/Wolf, No. 51 Alex Kobelt/Seeling and No. 53 Kobelt/James Trotter.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Saturday's matchup will be just the second in the all-time series between the two teams, with the last meeting coming on May 11, 2007 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Buckeyes earned a 4-0 victory in Columbus and went on to make the Elite Eight before falling to Illinois, 4-2.
ON DECK
Three Lions are set to compete in the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships, May 20-25, in Orlando. Lin and Pham will compete in the singles tournament, while Lin and Matheson will team up for the doubles competition.
For the latest on the Columbia men's tennis, follow @ColumbiaMTennis on Twitter and Instagram, and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
The 2019 season marks the first year of the super-regional format, as the round of 16 was previously contested at the championship site. The winner of Saturday's bout will earn its trip to the USTA National Campus in Orlando where the remaining matches will be played as well as the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships.
Columbia (19-3, 7-0 Ivy League) advances to the super regional after taking down both Bryant and No. 34 Penn State, 4-0, in the first and second rounds in New York. Riding a 10-match win streak, the Lions mare making their second-consecutive and fourth-ever trip to the Sweet 16, all four of which have occurred in the last six years after accomplishing the feat for the first time in 2014.
The Lions are coming off their sixth-straight Ivy League title, having won the crown outright after recording an unbeaten record in conference play. Columbia started off the season with a trip to the ITA National Team Indoor Championship, qualifying for the 16-team event for the fourth time in five years. Despite falling to top-ranked Wake Forest in the opening match, Columbia bounced back with two big wins over then-No. 11 Notre Dame and then-No. 9. Baylor.
Columbia capped off the regular season with an unblemished 12-0 mark at home inside the Dick Savitt Tennis Center, including the 4-0 victory over Penn State in the NCAA second round last Saturday.
The Lions' only three losses of the 2019 campaign came on the road to teams ranked inside the top 10 of the ITA standings. All three of those teams (Wake Forest, Texas and TCU) are still competing in NCAA action this season after earning top-10 seeds.
LIONS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Columbia's roster features five singles players and three doubles tandems ranked by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Sophomore Jack Lin leads the way with a No. 22 singles ranking, followed by No. 37 Victor Pham, No. 107 Adam Ambrozy, No. 117 Rian Pandole and No. 125 Jackie Tang. Lin and Tang combine to form the No. 16 doubles team in the country, with No. 30 Lin/ William Matheson and No. 77 Ambrozy/Tang rounding out the ranked duos.
SCOUTING OHIO STATE
Ohio State (31-2, 11-0 Big Ten) earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament after winning the ITA National Indoor Team Championship in February and continuing on to claim both the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles.
The Buckeyes are undefeated at home, with their only two losses of the season coming at Texas (4-1) and at Texas A&M (4-3) in early March. Ohio State went on to post 15-straight wins, including their first and second round shutout victories over Cleveland State and Vanderbilt.
Leading the charge is junior JJ Wolf, who is ranked No. 2 in the nation in singles. Joining him in the singles rankings are No. 26 John McNally, No. 60 Kyle Seeling and No. 111 Martin Joyce. Four Buckeye duos are also ranked in doubles: No. 14 Hunter Tubert/Joyce, No. 23 Joyce/Wolf, No. 51 Alex Kobelt/Seeling and No. 53 Kobelt/James Trotter.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Saturday's matchup will be just the second in the all-time series between the two teams, with the last meeting coming on May 11, 2007 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Buckeyes earned a 4-0 victory in Columbus and went on to make the Elite Eight before falling to Illinois, 4-2.
ON DECK
Three Lions are set to compete in the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships, May 20-25, in Orlando. Lin and Pham will compete in the singles tournament, while Lin and Matheson will team up for the doubles competition.
For the latest on the Columbia men's tennis, follow @ColumbiaMTennis on Twitter and Instagram, and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
Players Mentioned
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