After a month of dual-match play we have our first major team event of the year as 16 teams descend upon the Connecticut towns of West Haven and Rocky Hill. Yale is this year’s host and therefore the Bulldogs gets an automatic bid into the tournament while the other 15 teams qualified during the ITA’s Kick-Off Weekend two weeks ago. The eight teams with the highest ITA ranking secured a seed in the draw while the other eight teams were slotted at random so that’s why we don’t have a typical 1 versus 16 matchup because normally that would be Florida and Yale. FloTennis will have a live stream for all the matches at the Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center on the campus of Yale University however there will not be a stream for the matches being held up the road at The Tennis and Fitness Center of Rocky Hill. There will be live scoring available for all matches via TennisTicker which is an excellent system that records each point and after the match you can download the scorecard to see the outcome of every point.
Here is Friday’s action-packed schedule which should have several barnburners and possibly a few routs. I’ll go through each match and give you the projected lineups, including each player’s Universal Tennis Rating, and then I’ll make a prediction. I’ll give everyone the first match for free but to see the rest you’ll need to be a College Tennis Today subscriber which for $.33 a day is a steal!!
I will also have guest commentary and predictions from Joey Dillon. Joey did some writing last year for College Tennis Today plus he has written several articles for the Tennis Recruiting Network including this one on Lauren Embree.
Friday Schedule – Live Scoring/Video ($ – FloTennis)
[3] Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss, 9 a.m. (RH)
[6] Ohio State vs. Auburn, 9 a.m. (Yale)
[2] North Carolina vs. Yale, 12 p.m. (Yale)
[7] California vs. Georgia Tech, 12 p.m. (RH)
[1] Florida vs. Michigan, 3:30 p.m. (Yale)
[8] Vanderbilt vs. Texas Tech, 3:30 p.m. (RH)
[4] Pepperdine vs. Texas A&M, 6:30 p.m. (Yale)
[5] Georgia vs. Duke, 6:30 p.m. (RH)
[3] Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss, 9 a.m. (RH) – Oklahoma State booked its ticket to the NTIs with a 4-0 win over TCU while Ole Miss was one of two teams to go on the road and win a regional after defeating Virginia and LSU at the Virginia regional. Oklahoma State has six ranked singles players and its No. 1 doubles team of Babic and Tur Mari is ranked No. 5. Ole Miss has just one ranked singles player while its No. 1 doubles team of Hartono and Vrbenska is ranked No. 33. Both teams are undefeated in doubles with Oklahoma State 6-0 while Ole Miss is 5-0. Oklahoma State is the stronger indoor team and it’ll be a pretty large favorite at just about every spot in the lineup. Prediction: Oklahoma State 4-0
Joey’s Take: Oklahoma State may have stunned the college tennis world en route to the NCAA championship, but I wasn’t surprised. Chris Young has continuously brought in fantastic recruits that play both phenomenal singles and doubles. Their lineup is full of International talent ranked in singles and doubles and they should have no issues with Ole Miss, who were a surprise entry out of the Virginia regional. Don’t be surprised if the Cowgirls take this in one of the quickest matches of opening day. Prediction: Oklahoma State 4-0
Projected Singles Lineup (UTR Power 6 – Oklahoma State 69, Ole Miss 64)
1. #10 Viktoriya Lushkova (OSU 11.91) vs. #58 Arianne Hartono (OM 10.88)
2. #56 Katarina Adamovic (OSU 11.62) vs. Natalie Suk (OM 10.63)
3. #33 Vladica Babic (OSU 11.31) vs. Anna Vrbenska (OM 10.59)
4. Aliona Bolsova (OSU 11.82) vs. Zalina Khairudinova (OM 10.45)
5. #42 Carla Tur Mari (OSU 10.80) vs. Tea Jandric (OM 10.53)
6. #77 Sofia Blanco (OSU 11.19) vs. Alexa Bortles (OM 10.51)
B. #86 Lena Ruppert (OSU 11.16); Tereza Janatova (OM 9.66)
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[6] Ohio State vs. Auburn, 9 a.m (Yale) – Ohio State qualified for the NTIs with a shutout win over Alabama while Auburn defeated USC 4-1. Auburn is a perfect 7-0 in doubles this year while Ohio State is 4-1 after losing the point the last time out against Vanderbilt. If Ohio State takes the doubles point this one could be headed towards a 4-0 score however if Auburn can take the early lead we could be looking at a much tight match. I’ll go with Auburn in doubles and Taylor Russo in singles but I like Di Lorenzo, Niehaus, Kowase, and Angeles Paz for the Buckeyes. Prediction: Ohio State 4-2
Joey’s Take: Ohio State spends the majority of their season indoors and their run to the semifinals (and a near spot in the championship) in their NTI debut last year is no fluke. Francesca DiLorenzo is a star at No.1 and hasn’t lost this season thus far. The 4 seniors anchoring Nos. 3-6 make them one of the more formidable teams to go far when everything clicks. Auburn will be able to push the Buckeyes, especially in doubles, but Ohio State is too loaded and prepared to get knocked out first round. Prediction: Ohio State 4-0
Projected Singles Lineup (UTR Power 6 – Ohio State 68, Auburn 65)
1. #1 Francesca Di Lorenzo (OSU 12.58) vs. #28 Allizee Michaud (AU 11.65)
2. #55 Anna Sanford (OSU 11.18) vs. Andie Dikosavljevic (AU 11.07)
3. #68 Gaby Desantis (OSU 10.76) vs. #98 Taylor Russo (AU 10.69)
4. Sandy Niehaus (OSU 10.75) vs. #120 Alannah Griffin (AU 10.46)
5. #84 Miho Kowase (OSU 11.65) vs. #112 Roos Van Der Zwann (AU 10.39)
6. Ferny Angeles Paz (OSU 11.37) vs. Georgiana Axon (AU 10.89)
B. #111 Oliva Sneed (OSU 10.68); Caroline Turner (AU 9.87)
[2] North Carolina vs. Yale, 12 p.m (Yale) – The Tar Heels qualified for the NTIs after blanking Texas while Yale got the automatic bid since it is hosting the event. Yale will have the home court advantage but North Carolina will have everything else. Yale enters the match with an 0-4 record and they’ve dropped the doubles point three out of four times while North Carolina is 5-0 and have won the doubles point each time out. Prediction: North Carolina 4-0 (80 minutes)
Joey’s Take: North Carolina is another team that loves to play at the NTI and will be a tough indoor team to overtake. Yale may have the home crowd, but I think they’ll be outclassed by the Tar Heels. I think the doubles point can be an entertaining one, but UNC will knock out 3 quick wins in singles to secure the win. Look for a big weekend from Hayley Carter and especially Sara Daavettila. Prediction: North Carolina 4-0
Projected Singles Lineup (UTR Power 6 – North Carolina 68, Yale 57)
1. #5 Hayley Carter (UNC 11.84) vs. Carol Finke (YU 9.37)
2. #2 Sara Daavettila (UNC 12.03) vs. Tina Jiang (YU 10.00)
3. #17 Jessie Aney (UNC 11.59) vs. Amy Yang (YU 9.73)
4. #48 Alexa Graham (UNC 11.42) vs. Valerie Shklover (YU 9.33)
5. #60 Makenna Jones (UNC 10.92) vs. Elizabeth Zordani (YU 9.55)
6. Rachael James Baker (UNC 10.39) vs. Caroline Lynch (YU 8.93)
B. Chloe Ouellet-Pizer (UNC 10.42); Opala Dhingra (YU 8.24)
B. Chloe Ouellet-Pizer (UNC 10.42); Opala Dhingra (YU 8.24)
[7] California vs. Georgia Tech, 12 p.m (RH) – The defending NTI champion Cal Bears qualified with a shutout over Missouri while Georgia Tech held off UCLA 4-2. Both teams are undefeated overall and in doubles so this one should be a pretty good match. I’ll take Cal in a tight doubles point and Popovic, Starr, and Hauger in singles while Georgia Tech gets wins from McAdoo and Otsuka with No. 6 going unfinished. Prediction: Cal 4-2
Joey’s Take: Georgia Tech is a team that I think will hit their peak later in the season. They have a young but extremely solid team with a lot of chemistry. However, the defending champs are roaring to go, with a meteoric rise in Karla Popovic and the addition of 2-time NCAA doubles champion Maya Jansen. There’s a good chance Georgia Tech can snag a point somewhere, but Cal will be too hungry to show they’re a top team worth recognizing. Prediction: Cal 4-1
Projected Singles Lineup (UTR Power 6 – Cal 67, Georgia Tech 66)
1. #36 Maegan Manasse (Cal 11.64) vs. #43 Rasheeda McAdoo (GT 11.40)
2. #20 Karla Popovic (Cal 11.98) vs. Johnnise Renaud (GT 11.53)
3. Denise Starr (Cal 11.19) vs. Paige Hourigan (GT 11.32)
4. Olivia Hauger (Cal 11.35) vs. Kenya Jones (GT 11.02)
5. Maya Jansen (Cal 10.30) vs. #92 Nami Otsuka (GT 10.80)
6. Maria Smith (Cal 10.45) vs. Nadia Gizdova (GT 10.37)
B. Stephane Lin (Cal 9.80); Luca Fabian (GT 8.49
[1] Florida vs. Michigan, 3:30 p.m. (Yale) – The top-seeded Gators qualified for the NTIs with a 4-0 win over Florida International while Michigan shutout Mississippi State 4-0. Since the KOW, Florida picked up a win outdoors against Pepperdine while Michigan won indoors at Notre Dame and indoors at home over Texas. Florida is obviously extremely talented with a top 50 player sitting on the bench plus last year’s No. 1 Brooke Austin will be slotted at No. 5 after returning from a lengthy injury. However you can’t dismiss how well Michigan plays indoors while Florida spends almost all its time outdoors. It wouldn’t surprise me if Michigan took two of the top three in singles but I’m going to take the Gators in doubles and Kuhlman, Austin, and Keegan in singles. Prediction: Florida 4-1
Joey’s Take: This is a “rebuilding” year for Michigan who has a solid lineup but no star player like in previous years with Emina Bektas and Ronit Yurovsky while Florida looks loaded and ready to chomp out the field. I think the doubles point may be a little tight and the Wolverines may take a set, but the Gators will roll through this matchup with the doubles point and straightforward wins at the bottom. Prediction: Florida 4-0
Projected Singles Lineups (UTR Power 6 – Florida 71, Michigan 67
1. #40 Belinda Woolcock (UF 11.66) vs. #26 Kate Fahey (UM 11.80)
2. #23 Anna Danillina (UF 11.91) vs. #27 Brienne Minor (UM 11.68)
3. #45 Ingrid Neel (UF 11.91) vs. #64 Alex Najarian (UM 10.81)
4. #19 Josie Kuhlman (UF 12.07) vs. Chiara Lommer (UM 11.45)
5. Brooke Austin (UF 11.78) vs. Mira Ruder-Hook (UM 10.97)
6. #30 Kourtney Keegan (UF 11.78) vs. Valeria Patiuk (UM 10.71)
B. #41 Spencer Liang (UF 11.16); Kara Hall (UM 9.25)
[8] Vanderbilt vs. Texas Tech, 3:30 p.m. (RH) – Vandy qualified for the NTIs with a 4-0 win over Kansas while Texas Tech edged Arizona State 4-3. Since the NTIs, Vanderbilt split matches against Northwestern (5-2 W) and Ohio State (5-2 L) while Texas Tech split against North Carolina (4-0 L) and South Florida (7-0 W). This will be Texas Tech’s first indoor match of the year while Vanderbilt has played all its matches indoors. Vanderbilt is 4-0 in doubles while Texas Tech is just 1-3. I’ll take Vandy in doubles and Sharma, Campbell, and Contreras in singles while Valenstein pulls out a win for TT. Prediction: Vanderbilt 4-1
Joey’s Take: I’ma big fan of Geoff Macdonald and the insight he brings to the game and it’s incredible how he’s built his program into a national contender. Led by a 1-2 punch of Astra Sharma and Sydney Campbell, they’re all but guaranteed 2 points. Texas Tech has a solid lineup, but this is a one-sided battle and Vanderbilt should have no issues. Prediction: Vanderbilt 4-0
Projected Singles Lineups (UTR Power 6 – Vanderbilt 67, Texas Tech 66)
1. #4 Astra Sharma (VU 11.99) vs. #15 Gabriela Talaba (TT 11.87)
2. #8 Sydney Campbell (VU 11.54) vs. #116 Felicity Maltby (TT 11.38)
3. Georgina Sellyn (VU 10.64) vs. Sarah Dvorak (TT 10.75)
4. #46 Christina Rosca (VU 10.80) vs. Alex Valenstein (TT 10.65)
5. Emma Kurtz (VU 10.56) vs. Sabrina Federici (TT 10.86)
6. Fernanda Contreras (VU 11.29) vs. Katelyn Jackson (TT 10.35)
B. Emily Smith (VU 10.32); Alba Cortina (TT 10.29)
[4] Pepperdine vs. Texas A&M, 6:30 p.m. (Yale) – Pepperdine booked its spot in the NTIs with a 4-0 win over NC State while Texas A&M went to Miami and defeated the Hurricanes 4-2. Since the NTIs, Pepperdine dropped a match to Florida (5-2 L) while Texas A&M split matches with Princeton (4-0 W) and Rice (4-1 L). Neither team has played indoors this year and both are at their best outdoors so I’ve got to go with the team that’s stronger top to bottom. I’ll take the Waves in doubles and Stefani, Lahey, and Milovanovic in singles. Prediction: Pepperdine 4-0
Joey’s Take: Pepperdine is one of the favorites though I wonder how the lack of matchplay indoors will affect them when they play teams that are more comfortable inside on the quicker courts. The Waves’ secret weapon in my opinion is freshman Ashley Lahey. She ended her junior career on a confident note and quickly adapted to the collegiate scene. Texas A&M had a great upset over Miami to win the regional and I can see them squeaking out a win towards the lower end of the lineup however Pepperdine will roll in the doubles point and eventually snatch the win. Prediction: Pepperdine 4-1
Projected Singles Lineups (UTR Power 6 – Pepperdine 70, Texas A&M 66)
1. #7 Luisa Stefani (Pepp 11.93) vs. #71 Rachel Pierson (TAMU 11.43)
2. #14 Mayar Sherif Ahmed (Pepp 11.42) vs. Rutuja Bhosale (TAMU 11.07)
3. #22 Ashley Lahey (Pepp 12.10) vs. Tina Bokhua (TAMU 10.46)
4. #72 Laura Gulbe (Pepp 11.29) vs. Macarena Olivares (TAMU 11.16)
5. Adrijana Lekaj (Pepp 11.46) vs. Saska Gavrilovska (TAMU 10.66)
6. Dzina Milovanovic (Pepp 10.95) vs. Domenia Gonzalez (TAMU 10.83)
B. Jean Runglerdkriangkrai (Pepp 11.02); Eva Paalma (TAMU 9.28)
[5] Georgia vs. Duke, 6:30 p.m. (RH) – Georgia has rolled through all three of its matches so far while Duke fought off Northwestern by the same 4-3 score in back-to-back weeks. Duke doesn’t have much depth with only six players entered on its NTI roster so for it to pull the upset everyone will need to be firing on all cylinders. Georgia should take the doubles point and I see them getting singles wins from Perez, Shaffer, and Gonzalez while Duke avoids the shutout with a win from Chi at No. 2. Prediction: Georgia 4-1
Joey’s Take: This is my favorite first round matchup and depending on who plays where it could go either way. Duke really shines in this tournament but Georgia’s strength may be too much for the Blue Devils. A key point is the doubles point, because both teams enjoy carrying the momentum into singles and it wouldn’t shock me to see the singles somehow split 3-3. I see Melbie Chi taking the No.2 singles point, but Georgia will take this one in a long contest. Prediction: Georgia 4-2
Projected Singles Lineups (UTR Power 6 – Georgia 68, Duke 65)
1. Ellen Perez (UGA 11.98) vs. Samantha Harris (DU 11.32)
2. #18 Eleni Christofi (UGA 11.71) vs. #21 Meible Chi (DU 11.81)
3. #39 Kennedy Shaffer (UGA 11.56) vs. #37 Chalena Scholl (DU 11.21)
4. #34 Caroline Brinson (UGA 11.27) vs. #125 Kaitlyn McCarthy (DU 10.94)
5. #76 Marta Gonzalez (UGA 10.76) vs. Alyssa Smith (DU 10.10)
6. Mariana Gould (UGA 11.00) vs. Rebecca Smaller (DU 10.01)
B. Laura Patterson (UGA 10.61)
Joey’s Overall Take: As for the winner, you really can’t go against Florida, who have looked incredible thus far and shined against an insanely tough Pepperdine team (that semifinal should be great). I do think UF having an indoor facility is a big tipping point, especially against a school like Pepperdine. They’re incredibly stacked (having Brooke Austin at 5 screams at how deep they are). If I had to go with my gut, I’d have UF taking out Pepp and Ohio State taking out UNC in the semis with the Gators taking it all. The bottom half is slightly weaker in my opinion and can have either both OSUs or UNC in the final (and you can’t count out last year’s winners Cal).
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