The rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State is legendary. What most fans aren't aware of is that the Wolverines have beaten the Buckeyes in 22 of their 30 total meetings.
In women's tennis, that is.
Michigan just finished a hard-fought trip to Florida last weekend. The Wolverines picked up a win against Miami, but their trip ended with a loss to South Florida in Tampa.
With that weekend out of the way, the Wolverines will continue their Big Ten schedule tomorrow against the Buckeyes. The last time Ohio State beat Michigan in a regular season match was in 1986, a span covering 10-straight matches.
Considering the Wolverines are dominating the Big Ten this year with a 5-0 record, the Buckeyes shouldn't pose much of a threat with their 1-3 conference record.
Leading the Michigan attack are senior Sarah Cyganiak and freshman Brooke Hart.
Cyganiak, currently ranked No. 49 in the nation, has won all five of her matches in the conference while playing in the No. 1 spot. If she picks up a victory against Ohio State, it will be her 40th career victory in the Big Ten.
Hart sports the same record as Cyganiak in the conference, and her 10-3 overall record is also tied for the team lead. Hart, and the rest of the freshmen, have gotten off to a good start this season.
Freshman Danielle Lund has managed a 4-1 record in the conference and is also tied for the overall team lead at 10-3.
Erryn Weggenman, the other freshman singles player, sports a 3-1 Big Ten record and an 8-4 record overall,
Junior Sora Moon and sophomore Tumeka Harris have had a rougher time in the conference, playing at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.
A sign that the Wolverines have been playing well is that Moon and Harris, who have the two worst records in the conference, are both over .500 with a 3-2 record.
The doubles teams have been as dominating as the singles. All three of the doubles tandems have a 4-1 record in the conference.
The top-ranked duo of Cyganiak and Moon are currently ranked No. 34 in the nation and lead the team with an overall mark of 9-4. The other two duos are composed of four freshmen. The pairing of Weggenman and redshirt freshman Jen Boylan are also 8-5 overall.
The performance of the upper class members of the team has brought the Wolverines together, most notably that of Cyganiak in the No. 1 spot.
And along with the strong performances from the four contributing freshmen, who have combined for a 12-2 singles mark and an 8-2 doubles record in conference play, the Buckeyes might be in for a long afternoon tomorrow.
FILE PHOTO
Tumeka Harris and the Michigan women's tennis team will continue its Big Ten schedule tomorrow against Ohio State.