Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2018-19 | Hawk Talk Monthly – April | Match Notes (PDF)
THIS WEEK:
The 48th-ranked University of Iowa men’s tennis team will host two nationally-ranked Big Ten opponents this weekend at the Hawkeye Tennis & Recreation Complex. On Friday, the Hawkeyes will take on No. 30 Penn State at 6 p.m. (CT). Iowa will challenge top-ranked Ohio State on Sunday at 11 a.m. (CT). Admission is free to the public for both matches.
LAST WEEK:
• The Hawkeyes dropped two matches away from Iowa City, falling at Northwestern (6-1) and at No. 14 Illinois (5-1).
#30 PENN STATE BREAKDOWN:
• The Nittany Lions enter this matchup, 14-5 overall and 4-1 in the Big Ten.
• Penn State is riding a seven-match win streak that began on March 16, 2019, against Michigan State (W, 7-0).
• In doubles, the Nittany Lions boast the eighth-ranked team in country, De La Bassetiere/Nemeth followed by two singles players at No. 31 & No. 95.
#1 OHIO STATE BREAKDOWN:
• The Buckeyes sit atop the Big Ten standings at 5-0 and a 20-2 overall record.
• Ohio State has won the doubles point in 21 of its 22 matches. The Buckeyes also boast two ranked doubles tandems in the top-20.
• In singles, the Buckeyes have four ranked players in their lineup, most notably the No. 1 player in the land, JJ Wolf.
• Head coach Ty Tucker has won 20 or matches for 19-straight seasons.
HAWKEYE NOTABLES:
• The Hawkeyes are 10-1 at the Hawkeye Tennis & Recreation Complex.
• Will Davies and Oliver Okonkwo are ranked 74th nationally in doubles.
• Iowa swept No. 18 Minnesota (4-3) and Wisconsin (4-3) in the same season for the first time in 30 years.
• Iowa won its first three Big Ten matches to start 3-0 in league play for the first time since 1998.
• Kareem Allaf won 11 matches during competition, including seven in a row to capture the ITA Central Regional championship. He became the third Hawkeye to accomplish the feat in school history.
• Will Davies has won a team-best 14 singles matches this spring. The sophomore is 13-4, including a perfect 4-0 record on court four.
• Oliver Okonkwo has won 20 doubles matches (fall & spring), which ties for seventh most in a single-season in program history.
FOLLOW THE HAWKEYES:
Fans can follow the Hawkeyes all season long and receive live match updates on Facebook (facebook.com/IowaMensTennis) and Twitter (@IowaMensTennis). Fans can also get a behind the scenes look on Instagram (iowamenstennis).
HEAD COACH ROSS WILSON:
Ross Wilson, a former two-time NCAA All-American and three-time ITA national doubles champion at Ohio State, is in his fifth season as head coach and sixth year with the Iowa men’s tennis program.
