Kentucky upset encourages Notre Dame for OSU game
RACHEL BIBER
Sports Writer
After posting a huge win over 18th-ranked Kentucky on Tuesday, the 38th-ranked Irish look to keep their hot streak alive, and improve upon their 3-2 record when they meet 58th-ranked Ohio State this Saturday at the Eck Tennis Pavilion.
The recent win over Kentucky marked the biggest upset by Notre Dame since the 1997 Irish squad, then ranked 29th, upended eighth-ranked Duke 4-3.
However, after the big win, the Irish are being careful not to take Ohio State lightly.
"We are pretty concerned about Ohio State because they are undefeated," Notre Dame coach Bob Bayliss said. "They are pretty solid from top to bottom."
Ohio State has yet to encounter rough terrain this season, blowing by former number 51 South Alabama, Toledo, Bowling Green and Robert Morris.
After posting wins, the Buckeyes received attention by being granted a national ranking for the first time in at least four years.
Chris Porter, ranked No. 62, will lead the Buckeyes into Saturday's match, and will most likely face Irish captain and All-American Ryan Sachire in the top singles battle. Including the recent win over Kentucky's ninth-ranked Carlos Drada, 14th-ranked Sachire has put together an impressive string of victories and should pose an obstacle for Porter.
The rest of the Irish lineup will presumably remain the same as in the previous match, barring the return of injured 56th-ranked junior and No. 2 singles player Matt Daly, who has been hampered by a shoulder injury.
Freshman Brain Farrell stepped up in the No. 6 slot to fill in for
Daly, and demonstrated his poise and power by clinching the Irish victory over Kentucky in their previous match.
Sophomore Casey Smith will most likely follow Sachire in the ranks at No. 2 singles, followed by sophomores Javier Taborga, Aaron Talarico and Andrew Laflin. This established squad stands as a formidable opponent for any team, especially for a team like Ohio State who has yet to prove they are national contenders.
"It's going to be a tough match for us," OSU's assistant coach Dave
Schilling said. "We were able to play well against South Alabama, the No. 51 team in the country, but this match will be a whole new level of play and we are going to be on the road as well. This will be by far the toughest test of the season to date."
The Buckeyes are under the new management of head coach Ty Tucker who brings a wealth of tennis knowledge to the improving program. He left Ohio State in 1992 after his junior year to become a professional tennis player, and achieved a world ranking of 232, and in 1994 he was nationally ranked No. 35.
Tucker's arrival has attracted a number of key additions to the Ohio State program, including freshman Philip Metz, who was ranked 22nd in the United States Tennis Association national rankings in the 18 and under division.
The Buckeyes also boast the 35th-ranked doubles team of Andrew Carlson and Porter, who look to take away the doubles point when they meet the Irish in dual-match play. But the Irish's 48th-ranked pair of Taborga and Talarico hopes to alter the Buckeye game plan. Notre Dame proved the importance of garnering the doubles point in dual-play, after doing so helped them secure their recent upset.
"It is important to stand up to them early," coach Bayliss said. "And let them know who we are and that we are here to play."
All Sports Stories for Friday, February 11, 2000
