Ohio State sophomore JJ Tracy pumps his fist in celebration during his singles match against Tennessee junior Angel Diaz at the Ty Tucker Tennis Center Feb. 4. Ohio State won 4-0. Credit: Casey Smith | Assistant Lantern TV Sports Producer
Leading 5-1 in the second set and needing one point to clinch an Ohio State victory, graduate Jake Van Emburgh realized he wasn’t alone.
A court to his right was No. 11 sophomore JJ Tracy, also a game away from clinching. Engaging in a little friendly competition to see who would close the match, Van Emburgh put the nail in the coffin.
Certain victory was the theme Sunday as No. 3 Ohio State (17-2) nabbed a 4-0 win over No. 20 Northwestern (12-6), leading on all six singles courts as play concluded.
“We definitely want the best for each other,” Van Emburgh said. “Regardless, the best thing for us is that the team wins, so then at that point it’s just like an extra fun little competition, trying to beat each other.”
The team mindset was on full display for the Buckeyes early, where in doubles No. 1 junior Robert Cash and graduate Matej Vocel fought off a comeback bid from senior Steven Forman and freshman Felix Nordby to take their set 6-4.
The duo of senior James Trotter and redshirt junior Andrew Lutschaunig continued a winning trend as well, improving to 4-0 together this season with a 6-1 rout of junior Natan Spear and senior Trice Pickens. Trotter said similarities in their playstyle leads to their success as a team.
“We both serve well, we both try to put the pressure on the other team,” Trotter said. “If they give one break to us we’ll just hold serve the whole time and win. That’s our game style and especially today I think we did execute that well.”
Singles proved a test of longevity for the Buckeyes against the Wildcats, as no side could get a sizable lead early on. As play continued however, Ohio State took control.
No. 7 Vocel pulled away for a 6-3 first set and stayed in control for the duration of the outing, closing out senior Simen Bratholm 6-2 in the deciding set. The scoreboard looked the same for No. 42 Trotter, taking a 6-3, 6-2 win of his own against graduate Brian Berdusco, putting the Buckeyes in prime position for a sweep.
The most competitive matchup of the afternoon was No. 10 junior Cannon Kingsley taking on No. 37 Forman, with Kingsley taking a first set tiebreaker 7-5. Like his teammates, Kingsley gained full momentum late, leading 5-0 in the second set as play ended.
Van Emburgh said with most of the team taking their first sets, it allowed them to play free and take control of their opponents as victory drew near.
“It kind of snowballs onto the other team,” Van Emburgh said. “They feel like, back up against the wall, and it’s harder to play that way.”
Moving to 3-1 against conference opponents, Ohio State faces a three-game road stretch as it takes on the Big Ten in the coming weeks.
Next up for the Buckeyes is Indiana, facing off Friday in Bloomington at 3 p.m. before heading to West Lafayette April 3 for a date with Purdue at noon. Both matches will be streamed on the Ohio State Buckeyes website.
