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 Title
The Ohio State athletic program's first national title of the year came courtesy of freshman tennis player freshman Francesca Di Lorenzo and she took home the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championship.
Picture via David Kenas Photography www.dkshots.com.
Di Lorenzo was named the top freshman/newcomer in college tennis before the season by the ITA, and she proved more than worthy of this honor.
After receiving a wildcard spot into the 32-player singles draw, Di Lorenzo dominated the field. The talented freshman downed three seeded players – the No. 3 seed, the No. 8 seed, and defending champion No. 6 seed. The talented freshman dropped just one set in her five tournament 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 is next in action Jan. 16 as she leads her team in a double header against Xavier and Bowling Green to kick off the dual match season.
Sweet 16
Three different Buckeye teams qualified for the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 this fall – the women's soccer team, the men's soccer team, and the women's volleyball team.
Women's Soccer
For the Ohio State women's soccer team, do-or-die mode started with the final game of the regular season. To even qualify for the conference tournament, the Buckeyes had to beat Michigan State, who they blanked 2-0 to earn the No. 7 seed in the Big Ten Tournament.
Photo via Ohio State Athletics
The team then downed No. 2 seed Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal, which was enough to earn them an NCAA Tournament birth even despite a 2-0 loss to Rutgers in the next round.
In the tournament, Ohio State downed Butler in overtime with a game winner from Sammy Edwards then Virginia Tech before losing in the Sweet 16 to eventual national champion Penn State.
Men's Soccer
The men's soccer team did not get off to a hot start. The Buckeyes lost four of their first five games, all to unranked opponents, perhaps making what happened the rest of the season all the more impressive.
The Buckeyes righted the ship with a 3-3 draw against No. 4 Akron, and didn't look back. The team went on an eight-match win streak, the longest in school history, and lost just one match in its final 13 regular season games, and won its third Big Ten regular season championship.
A few players earned individual honors as well. Seniors Liam Doyle and Chris Froschauer were named the Big Ten's defensive player of the year and goalkeeper of the year, respectively, and Zach Mason was named division I soccer's most outstanding player with the 2015 Senior CLASS award.
The teams extraordinary season came to a close in the Sweet 16, where they were defeated by Stanford's high powered offense led by the United State's Men's National Team's Jordan Morris – who were also the eventual national champions.
Ohio State finished the season ranked 14th in the nation.
Women's Volleyball
The Ohio State women's volleyball team played a grueling conference slate. Nine different Big Ten Teams qualified for the NCAA Tournament, eight won their opening round matches, two advanced to the final four, and Nebraska was the eventual champion.
Despite the high-level of play from their opponents, the Buckeyes more than held their own. The team finished 25-10 overall, and placed sixth in the conference.
Thanks to a stellar regular season, Ohio State earned the right to host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, and they did not disappoint the home crowd. The Buckeyes swept both Robert Morris and American, never trailing in either match, to advance to the Sweet 16, where their season ended.
Ohio State's Sweet 16 match came against an under-seeded Washington team. The Huskies were ranked No. 1 in the coaches poll, but were just the No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament due to a No. 9 NCAA RPI rating.
Taylor Sandbothe is the first Buckeye since 2004 to receive first-team All-American honors (photo via OSU Athletics)
Ohio State held its own in the match, pushing Washington to five sets. The Huskies outscored the Buckeyes in the fifth 15-8, ending their season in the Sweet 16.
Despite the disappointing close, it was still a season to remember for the Scarlet and Gray. This season, the Buckeyes became one of just 11 teams to reach the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for the fourth time in six seasons, and a few players earned individual accolades.
Taylor Sandbothe was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association First-Team All-American team, becoming the first Buckeye to receive first-team honors since Stacey Gordon in 2004. Elizabeth Campbell was also voted to the third team.
Ohio State finished the season ranked 14th.
