University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Penn State
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Minnesota to Open Big Ten Tournament Play in Second Round
4/26/2022 1:15:00 PM | Tennis
Golden Gophers oppose Nittany Lions on Thursday
The University of Minnesota tennis team will begin postseason play on Thursday, as they take on Penn State in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. The Golden Gophers finished the season as the 8 seed, and will square off against the 9 seed Nittany Lions. First serve will be at 3 p.m. on April 28. Matches will be played in Iowa City, as the Hawkeye Tennis Complex will host the Gophers for the third time this 2021-2022 season.
The Gophers finished the regular season by matching their best win total since 2015, earning 17 victories on the season. They finished the conference slate with a 5-6 record, including a 4-2 win over Penn State at Baseline Tennis Center. Minnesota remains ranked for the 9th consecutive week, sitting at No. 60 in the ITA Top 75.
Penn State matched Minnesota's 5-6 Big Ten record, but went 11-12 overall, and 0-1 in head to head meetings. The winner of Thursday's match will play Ohio State on Friday. The Buckeyes concluded the season atop the Big Ten, going undefeated in conference matches.
Previous Match
Minnesota wrapped up the regular season in Indiana, playing a pair of road matches against the Hoosiers and Boilermakers. On Saturday, the Gophers earned a 4-0 win in Bloomington. Minnesota carried on their doubles success, before winning at each of the finishing singles matches. On Sunday, they picked up their 19th doubles point of the year, before going 3-1 in singles in West Lafayette. Minnesota earned their first two Big Ten wins away from Baseline, and improved to four away wins on the year.
The Competition
Penn State finished with five conference wins, beating Iowa, Michigan State, Indiana, Illinois, and Rutgers. Their 11-12 overall record earned them the 9th seed in the Big Ten Tournament.
The two teams last met on April 17th, a 4-2 win for the Gophers in Minneapolis. Minnesota jumped out to the early lead, winning at doubles No. 1 and No. 2. In singles, Dalila Said extended the Gophers' lead, with a straight set win to cap off her Senior Day. This marked Said's eighth win of the season at No. 6. Penn State answered with wins at No. 3, and No. 2, tying the match at two points apiece.
Vasia Karvouni helped Minnesota regain the lead, as she defeated Alexandra Nielsen in straight sets at No. 5. The match was sealed as Maria Rizzolo dominated the third set of her match, winning 6-2.
How to Follow
Streaming and live statistics for the weekend's matches will be available through Iowa Athletics, and the Big Ten. A link to the tournament page can be found here. Updates will be provided at GopherWTennis Twitter. Recap and Statistics will be posted upon result completion.