Friday, March 29
University Park, Pa.
3:00 PM
Rutgers University
at
Penn State
Photo by: Rich Graessle
Tennis To Face Penn State, Ohio State This Weekend
Mar 28 | Women's Tennis
EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J. — No. 73 Rutgers women's tennis (10-6, 1-4 B1G) will travel to take on Penn State (3-11, 2-2 B1G) and No. 12 Ohio State (10-6, 3-1 B1G) for a pair of duals this weekend. The Scarlet Knights will face the Nittany Lions on Friday, March 29 at 3 p.m. and the Buckeyes on Sunday, March 31 at 11 a.m.
Last Time Out
RU split a pair of weekend duals with Michigan State (March 22) and No. 2 Michigan (March 24). The Scarlet Knights downed the Spartans, 4-0, for their first B1G win of the spring before falling to the Wolverines, 4-0.
Yana Gurevich, Mai Nguyen, and Naomi Karki each recorded singles victories to lift the Scarlet Knights over the Spartans for their first Big Ten victory of the dual campaign.
In RU's loss to the Wolverines, Karki along with partner Amira Badawi rounded out a perfect weekend in doubles play, defeating Michigan's No. 3 pair, 6-3.
Recapping the 2023 Fall
The Scarlet Knights are coming off a successful fall schedule, where they posted a team record of 78-59 in singles and doubles competitions through seven total events.
Leading the way in singles play was Minchae Kim, who claimed 17 total victories, nine singles and eight doubles.
Nguyen also had a strong showing, recording an 8-2 record in singles competitions. The sophomore finished the campaign on a five-match win streak which included two straight-set victories and three comeback wins.
In doubles, the pair of Nguyen and Badawi won five matches together, the most out of RU's 18 different duos.
Recapping the 2023 Spring
RU finished its 2023 spring season with an 11-13 record. The campaign was highlighted by a 9-2 nonconference record, earning wins in the first four matches of the year.
Following a challenging conference slate that consisted of nine ranked opponents, Rutgers earned the No. 13 seed in the 14-team bracket in the 2023 Big Ten Women's Tennis Tournament.
The Scarlet Knights opened the tournament with a match against No. 12-seeded Michigan State, earning a 5-1 victory. The first round win marked the first Big Ten Tournament win for head coach Hilary Ritchie since she was elevated to the position in 2016.
The team's spring campaign ended in the tournament with a 4-1 loss to No. 5-seeded Northwestern.
New Kids 'On The Banks'
RU welcomed two new additions to the squad this offseason, graduate student Gurevich and freshman Naomi Karki.
Gurevich spent four years at UC Davis before coming to join the Scarlet Knights. The Los Gatos, Calif. native announced her decision to finish her collegiate career 'On the Banks' in November 2022.
During her successful four-year career with her former team, Gurevich recorded a 44-30 singles record helping her to be named the Big West Player of the Week three times. She was also named to the All-Big West Conference Second Team Singles as a sophomore and junior.
Following a strong senior season where she finished with a 10-8 singles record playing exclusively at the top lineup spot, Gurevish was named to the All-Big West Conference First Team Singles and Doubles.
Karki began her Rutgers career after finding success at East Brunswick High School where she led her squad to the 2019 NJSIAA State Championship as well as GMC and Red Division titles.
As an individual, Karki recorded an impressive 24-2 during that season and was named the Heather O'Reilly Freshman of the Year as well as the GMC Fall Athlete of the Year by MyCentralJersey.com.
In 2021, Karki led her team to repeat as both GMC and Red Division champions. She also advanced to semifinals in doubles of G18 National Winter Championships.
Karki spent the 2022 summer training at the Juan Carlos Ferrero Academy in Villena, Spain.
Aye, Aye Captain(s)
Heading into the upcoming campaign, Ritchie has named Chloe Brown and Lopez as the team's co-captains for the spring. Brown, a senior out of Johns Creek, Ga., will enter the season as captain for the second-straight year, while Lopez, a junior from Dunwoody, Ga., earned the distinction for the first time in her career.
Entering her fourth spring season with the Scarlet Knights, Brown has appeared in 39 total matches over the last three years. The senior competed in a career-high 18 matches in 2023, recording 10 total wins, six singles and four doubles. Following the campaign, Brown was named a 2023 ITA All-Academic Team Member and ITA Scholar Athlete.
Lopez has been a mainstay at the top of Rutgers' lineups throughout her first two seasons with the program. During the 2023 spring slate, the junior took the court in 23 matches, recording 16 wins, eight singles and eight doubles. All of her singles victories came at the No. 1 spot.
History Against Penn State
PSU holds a 6-2 advantage in the lifetime series with Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights have not beat the Nittany Lions since the 2019 season, when they edged Penn State at home, 4-3.
History Against Ohio State
The Scarlet Knights have not beaten the Buckeyes in the seven-match lifetime series between programs.
Scouting the Nittany Lions
Penn State is just 3-11 through 14 duals this spring, but has started to find its stride as of late. The Nittany Lions picked up one win during their nonconference slate, a 5-2 victory over St. Francis. PSU is 2-2 in Big Ten play, earning wins over Michigan State and Indiana.
PSU has the 39th-ranked doubles pair in the country, Karly Friedland and Olivia Dorner. The duo has earned three victories in dual play, highlighted by a win over the 20th-ranked pair from Kentucky.
Scouting the Buckeyes
Ohio State has played to a 9-6 overall record this campaign, highlighted by wins over Georgia, UCLA, and Duke. The Buckeyes started Big Ten play with a loss to Michigan, but have since recorded three-straight victories over Michigan State, Indiana, and Purdue.
OSU's roster features three players in the ITA top 125, Irina Cantos Siemers at No. 12, Luciana Perry at No. 41, and Sydni Ratliff at No. 118. The trio has combined for 18 wins between the first three courts this spring.
Looking Ahead
The Scarlet Knights will continue their roadstand for their next two matches against Iowa (April 6), and Maryland (April 13).
Follow Along
Follow Rutgers women's tennis on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Last Time Out
RU split a pair of weekend duals with Michigan State (March 22) and No. 2 Michigan (March 24). The Scarlet Knights downed the Spartans, 4-0, for their first B1G win of the spring before falling to the Wolverines, 4-0.
Yana Gurevich, Mai Nguyen, and Naomi Karki each recorded singles victories to lift the Scarlet Knights over the Spartans for their first Big Ten victory of the dual campaign.
In RU's loss to the Wolverines, Karki along with partner Amira Badawi rounded out a perfect weekend in doubles play, defeating Michigan's No. 3 pair, 6-3.
Recapping the 2023 Fall
The Scarlet Knights are coming off a successful fall schedule, where they posted a team record of 78-59 in singles and doubles competitions through seven total events.
Leading the way in singles play was Minchae Kim, who claimed 17 total victories, nine singles and eight doubles.
Nguyen also had a strong showing, recording an 8-2 record in singles competitions. The sophomore finished the campaign on a five-match win streak which included two straight-set victories and three comeback wins.
In doubles, the pair of Nguyen and Badawi won five matches together, the most out of RU's 18 different duos.
Recapping the 2023 Spring
RU finished its 2023 spring season with an 11-13 record. The campaign was highlighted by a 9-2 nonconference record, earning wins in the first four matches of the year.
Following a challenging conference slate that consisted of nine ranked opponents, Rutgers earned the No. 13 seed in the 14-team bracket in the 2023 Big Ten Women's Tennis Tournament.
The Scarlet Knights opened the tournament with a match against No. 12-seeded Michigan State, earning a 5-1 victory. The first round win marked the first Big Ten Tournament win for head coach Hilary Ritchie since she was elevated to the position in 2016.
The team's spring campaign ended in the tournament with a 4-1 loss to No. 5-seeded Northwestern.
New Kids 'On The Banks'
RU welcomed two new additions to the squad this offseason, graduate student Gurevich and freshman Naomi Karki.
Gurevich spent four years at UC Davis before coming to join the Scarlet Knights. The Los Gatos, Calif. native announced her decision to finish her collegiate career 'On the Banks' in November 2022.
During her successful four-year career with her former team, Gurevich recorded a 44-30 singles record helping her to be named the Big West Player of the Week three times. She was also named to the All-Big West Conference Second Team Singles as a sophomore and junior.
Following a strong senior season where she finished with a 10-8 singles record playing exclusively at the top lineup spot, Gurevish was named to the All-Big West Conference First Team Singles and Doubles.
Karki began her Rutgers career after finding success at East Brunswick High School where she led her squad to the 2019 NJSIAA State Championship as well as GMC and Red Division titles.
As an individual, Karki recorded an impressive 24-2 during that season and was named the Heather O'Reilly Freshman of the Year as well as the GMC Fall Athlete of the Year by MyCentralJersey.com.
In 2021, Karki led her team to repeat as both GMC and Red Division champions. She also advanced to semifinals in doubles of G18 National Winter Championships.
Karki spent the 2022 summer training at the Juan Carlos Ferrero Academy in Villena, Spain.
Aye, Aye Captain(s)
Heading into the upcoming campaign, Ritchie has named Chloe Brown and Lopez as the team's co-captains for the spring. Brown, a senior out of Johns Creek, Ga., will enter the season as captain for the second-straight year, while Lopez, a junior from Dunwoody, Ga., earned the distinction for the first time in her career.
Entering her fourth spring season with the Scarlet Knights, Brown has appeared in 39 total matches over the last three years. The senior competed in a career-high 18 matches in 2023, recording 10 total wins, six singles and four doubles. Following the campaign, Brown was named a 2023 ITA All-Academic Team Member and ITA Scholar Athlete.
Lopez has been a mainstay at the top of Rutgers' lineups throughout her first two seasons with the program. During the 2023 spring slate, the junior took the court in 23 matches, recording 16 wins, eight singles and eight doubles. All of her singles victories came at the No. 1 spot.
History Against Penn State
PSU holds a 6-2 advantage in the lifetime series with Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights have not beat the Nittany Lions since the 2019 season, when they edged Penn State at home, 4-3.
History Against Ohio State
The Scarlet Knights have not beaten the Buckeyes in the seven-match lifetime series between programs.
Scouting the Nittany Lions
Penn State is just 3-11 through 14 duals this spring, but has started to find its stride as of late. The Nittany Lions picked up one win during their nonconference slate, a 5-2 victory over St. Francis. PSU is 2-2 in Big Ten play, earning wins over Michigan State and Indiana.
PSU has the 39th-ranked doubles pair in the country, Karly Friedland and Olivia Dorner. The duo has earned three victories in dual play, highlighted by a win over the 20th-ranked pair from Kentucky.
Scouting the Buckeyes
Ohio State has played to a 9-6 overall record this campaign, highlighted by wins over Georgia, UCLA, and Duke. The Buckeyes started Big Ten play with a loss to Michigan, but have since recorded three-straight victories over Michigan State, Indiana, and Purdue.
OSU's roster features three players in the ITA top 125, Irina Cantos Siemers at No. 12, Luciana Perry at No. 41, and Sydni Ratliff at No. 118. The trio has combined for 18 wins between the first three courts this spring.
Looking Ahead
The Scarlet Knights will continue their roadstand for their next two matches against Iowa (April 6), and Maryland (April 13).
Follow Along
Follow Rutgers women's tennis on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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