Feb. 13, 2015
The Georgia Tech women’s tennis team (2-1) returns to the court after a week break to host a pair of top-35 opponents on Saturday and Sunday. The Yellow Jackets face #27 Ohio State (3-2) on Saturday at 1 p.m. Please note that the match time for Saturday has moved from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. The Jackets are back on the court on Sunday, hosting #31 Tennessee (6-1) at noon.
Parking Notice
Due to a home men’s basketball game and a home baseball game on Saturday, fans can pay to park at the W23 lot, Klaus Parking Deck or the upper level of the Peters Parking Deck. Visit Georgia Tech parking for a map of the lots.
Making an Early Impact
Georgia Tech’s three freshmen – #54 Paige Hourigan, Alexis Prokopuik and #68 Johnnise Renaud – are a combined 5-2 in singles play. Both Hourigan and Prokopuik are undefeated in singles, each with a 2-0 record in their first season on the Flats. Hourgian has played at the number two spot for the Jackets while Prokopuik has picked up wins on both court four and five. Prokopuik is on a five-match winning streak while Hourigan has won four-straight. Renaud has gone 1-2 playing in Georgia Tech’s top singles spot on court one. She picked up a singles victory in Tech’s match against #38 Columbia during the ITA Kickoff Weekend.
Scouting the Opponents
#27 Ohio State (3-2)
Series: Georgia Tech leads, 3-0
The Ohio State Buckeyes opened their season with three straight wins before falling to Stanford and Notre Dame. They check in at #27 in this week’s ITA poll while Sandy Niehaus is the #125 singles player. Niehaus is 4-1 in duel play and has played at both the number three and number four sports in Niehaus and Gabriella De Santis are ranked as the #25 doubles duo and the pair has gone 2-2 in dual matches so far, playing on courts one and two. Miho Kowawse has a perfect 5-0 singles dual match record, seeing action on courts four and five.
This will be the first time the Buckeyes and Yellow Jackets will meet since exactly 10 years ago on 2/13/05. The Jackets won that meeting, 5-2.
#31 Tennessee (6-1)
Series: Georgia Tech leads 3-2
The Tennessee Volunteers are currently 6-1, losing only to #15 Michigan 6-1. They checked in at #31 on this week’s ITA poll. The Vols have two doubles pairs ranked – #30 Eve Repic/Laurence Guevremont and #36 Joanna Henderson/Caitlin Williams. Henderson and Williams are 3-1 on court two this season while Guevremont and Repic are undefeated, 5-0, at the number two spot. Henderson plays at the number one position for Tennessee in singles and has gone 5-2 this season.
This will be the sixth meeting between the two teams who will meet for the third-straight season. Georgia Tech won the last two meetings, including a 5-2 win in Knoxville last year.
Tennessee and Ohio State face each other on Friday before traveling down to the Flats.
Winning the Doubles Point
The Yellow Jackets have won the doubles point in three-straight matches and are 2-1 when winning the doubles point. Tech won the doubles point against #38 Columbia on the way to a 4-1 win and won the doubles point against #19 Oklahoma State, but dropped the match, 4-3. Tech picked up the doubles point vs. #59 USF.
Jackets in the Rankings
The Yellow Jackets dropped one spot in this week’s ITA rankings to #19. The Jackets have two singles players and one doubles duo that is ranked.
Freshman rocketed up the rankings from #121 to #54 after going 2-0 at the number two spot this dual match season. Freshman is the #68 ranked singles player. Renaud plays at the number one spot and is 1-2 so far this spring.
The doubles tandem of sophomore and freshman check in at #43 on the doubles ranking after going 6-2 during the fall. The duo won three-straight matches at the end of the fall season.
Strong Nonconference Schedule
The Yellow Jackets play a strong nonconference schedule with six of their seven nonconference opponents ranked in the top 45 of this week’s ITA national team rankings. All seven of their nonconference opponents are ranked in the top 60 of the national rankings. Tech picked up a nonconference win against #38 Columbia during the ITA Kickoff Weekend and against #59 USF.
Georgia Tech is one of seven ACC schools that are ranked in the top-20 in the rankings, joining North Carolina (1), Virginia (7), Miami (9), Clemson (14), Duke (16), Georgia Tech (19) and Notre Dame (20).
Follow the Jackets
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Next Up
The Yellow Jackets hit the road next weekend, traveling to instate rival Georgia on Saturday, Feb. 21 for a noon match.
–TogetherWeSwarm–
