Ohio State graduate Kyle Seelig serves the ball during the Ohio State-Michigan State match on Feb. 13. Ohio State won 4-0. Credit: Christian Harsa | Asst. Photo Editor
After failing to qualify for the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Men’s Indoor Championships for the first time in 20 years, the Buckeyes have bounced back and are looking as strong as ever.
In a season unlike any other, senior John McNally and sixth-year senior Kyle Seelig have been a major part of the Buckeyes’ turnaround. After multiple positive COVID-19 cases on the team, play was suspended for many players for about a month, with little time to prepare before trying to make the National Indoors.
“We had a month hiatus and it was the first time in 20 years Ohio State hasn’t qualified for National Indoors,” McNally said. “To be honest, it’s kind of embarrassing, being an older guy on the team, I took that to heart. I was very upset with what happened.”
Seelig said despite the tough stretch, he believes the Buckeyes have turned things around.
“Obviously we were disappointed we didn’t make National Indoors, but I think we’ve kind of turned a corner. We beat No. 6 Illinois on the road and we beat them pretty convincingly 4-1,” Seelig said. “I think we’ve definitely gotten better since then and we used that month really well to kind of come together as a team and really refocus.”
The two decorated seniors are leading a younger team into battle.
McNally has won a number of accolades in his time at Ohio State, including being an ITA Singles All-American, ITA Doubles All-American and three-time first-team All-Big Ten.
However, McNally said he is looking past the individual accolades.
“I just want to put myself in the best position I can to win for Ohio State and do whatever I have to do to help the team win at the end of the day,” McNally said. “Obviously, being an All-American again is the icing on the cake, but if that doesn’t happen and we win a national championship, I don’t care. That (championship) would be much more important to me than getting individual accolades at this point.”
McNally said he has seen his role increase this season and has been focusing on becoming a better leader.
“Trying to be a better leader is big and it’s something I really haven’t had to work on,” McNally said. “Tennis is an individual sport so it’s been about me my whole life, but now there’s some young guys that need some help and a team that needs a little bit more help than we have in the past.”
McNally said he is ready to fully embrace his role as a frontman next to Seelig, an experienced leader in his sixth season at Ohio State.
Seelig has also been extremely successful in his time at Ohio State, racking up awards such as two-time first-team All-Big Ten as well as being a part of the All-Tournament team at the 2019 ITA Indoor Doubles and the 2018 NCAA Championship All-Tournament team.
With his experience and accolades, Seelig said he knows he must continue to lead his Buckeyes.
“I feel like if I’m succeeding, the team is succeeding, and at the end of the day, I think honestly just going out there and expecting to win, playing with confidence is my goal right now,” Seelig said.
The Buckeyes have high expectations, and with that leads to added pressure on the team, especially its biggest players, McNally said.
“It’s kind of how you take pressure,” McNally said. “If you take pressure as a privilege, knowing that if there’s pressure that means you’re doing something well, or if you take pressure and you crumble under the pressure. I think there’s two ways you can look at that.”
Ohio State currently sits at 9-2 and is playing arguably their best tennis of the season. After a tough loss to Virginia, the Buckeyes rattled off eight straight wins and most recently lost a close match against Michigan.
Ohio State also has eight sweeps on the season out of 11 games.
As McNally and Seelig push through their final seasons, the ultimate goal has remained unchanged in their time as Buckeyes.
“Since I came here my freshman year, the goal has always been to win a national championship,” McNally said. “I know when I was being recruited by coach Tucker that was part of the pitch. Being from Ohio and Ohio State never winning an NCAA Outdoor Championship, it’s always been my goal to try to do that and we came close my freshman year.”
