NCAA 2011: Tough End for Big Ten Players Brightened by Awards

There were no trophies coming back to the Big Ten again this year from the NCAAs, as the last remaining players fell before the tournament’s end.

Blaz Rola of Ohio State made it the farthest of any player in the conference, bowing out in the singles to eventual champion Steve Johnson and also making it to the round of 16 in doubles with teammate Chase Buchanan. On the women’s side, the two last players in singles, Maria Mosolova of Northwestern and Leslie Hureau of Indiana, fell in the round of 16, but the Northwestern doubles team of Abu Mushrefova & Nida Hamilton made it into the quarterfinals.

During the NCAAs, Rola was also named the National Player to Watch by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), while teammate Matt Allare was recognized as the Midwest Senior of the Year. Also receiving regional honors were: Illinois’ Abe Souza, Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award; Michigan’s Brooke Bolender, Rookie of the Year, and Ronni Bernstein, Wilson/ITA Coach of the Year, Evan King, Player to Watch, and Jason Jung, ITA/Rafael Osuna Sportsmanship Award; Michigan State’s Gene Orlando, Wilson/ITA Coach of the Year; and Northwestern’s Maria Mosolova, Senior of the Year, and Jackie Holden, Assistant Coach of the Year;

Congratulations to all the winners of the 2011 NCAA Division I College Tennis Championships: Men’s Singles-Steve Johnson, Southern California; Men’s Doubles-Jeff Dadamo & Austin Krajicek, Texas A&M; Women‘s Singles-Jana Juricova, California; and Women’s Doubles-Hilary Barte & Mallory Burdette, Stanford. For full results, visit the official Championship site.

Men
Singles

Quarterfinals

Steve Johnson, Southern California (1) defeated Blaz Rola, Ohio State (5), 6-3,6-3

Round of 16

Blaz Rola, Ohio State (5) defeated Evan King, Michigan, 6-3,6-0
Henrique Cunha, Duke (8) defeated Dennis Nevolo, Illinois (9-16), 4-6,6-3,6-2

Second Round
Blaz Rola, Ohio State (5) defeated Finn Tearney, Pepperdine, 7-5,6-2
Dennis Nevolo, Illinois (9-16) defeated Daniel Nguyen, Southern California, 6-4,5-7,5-2 retired
Evan King, Michigan defeated Gonzalo Escobar, Texas Tech, 3-6,6-1,6-1

First Round

Costin Paval, Oklahoma  defeated Matt Allare, Ohio State, 6-3,7-5
Ray Sarmiento, Southern California defeated Chase Buchanan, Ohio State (9-16), 3-6,7-6(2),6-3
Blaz Rola, Ohio State (5) defeated Ryan Thacher, Stanford, 5-7,6-3,6-3
Dennis Nevolo, Illinois (9-16) defeated Ivan Salec, Radford, 6-3,7-6(3)
Evan King, Michigan defeated Tim Puetz, Auburn, 6-3,6-0
Brandley Klahn, Stanford defeated Jason Jung, Michigan, 7-6(5),6-2.
Austin Krajicek, Texas A&M  defeated Marek Michalicka, Wisconsin, 6-7(6),7-6(3),6-2.

Doubles

Round of 16

Austen Childs/Viktor Maksimcuk, Louisville defeated Chase Buchanan/Blaz Rola, Ohio State, 7-6(5),6-1.

Roberto Maytin/John Peers, Baylor (5-8) defeated Jason Jung/Evan King, Michigan, 7-6(5),6-2

First Round
Boris Conkic/John-Patrick Smith, Tennessee (1) defeated Matt Allare/Peter Kobelt, Ohio State, 7-6(5),6-2.
Chase Buchanan/Blaz Rola, Ohio State defeated Steve Johnson/Ray Sarmiento, Southern California, 6-2,7-5
Jason Jung/Evan King, Michigan defeated Jaak Poldma/J.T. Sundling, Southern California, 4-6,6-3,6-1

Women
Singles
Round of 16

Hilary Barte, Stanford (3) defeated Maria Mosolova, Northwestern (9-16), 6-3,6-2
Lauren Embree, Florida defeated Leslie Hureau, Indiana, 6-1,6-0

Second Round
Chelsey Gullickson, Georgia, defeated Denise Muresan, Michigan (8), 3-6,6-3,6-3
Maria Mosolova, Northwestern (9-16) defeated Irene Rehberger, South Florida, 6-4,6-3
Leslie Hureau, Indiana, defeated Anouk Tigu, Arkansas, 2-6,6-3,6-4

First Round

Denise Muresan, Michigan (8) defeated Martina Pavelec, Wake Forest, 4-6,7-5,6-2
Maria Mosolova, Northwestern (9-16) defeated Anna Bartenstein, Miami, 6-3,3-6,6-2
Leslie Hureau, Indiana defeated Brynn Boren, Tennessee, 3-6,6-2,7-6(3)

Doubles
Quarterfinals

Mari Anderson/Jana Juricova, California (1) defeated Linda Abu Mushrefova/Nida Hamilton, Northwestern, 6-2,6-1

Round of 16

Linda Abu Mushrefova/Nida Hamilton, Northwestern defeated Courtney Dolehide/Andrea Remynse, UCLA, 6-4,6-2

First Round
Kate Fuller/Chelsey Gullickson, Georgia defeated Brooke Bolender/Denise Muresan, Michigan (5-8) (pictured above), 6-3,6-2
Linda Abu Mushrefova/Nida Hamilton, Northwestern defeated Cristina Sanchez-Quintanar/Jordaan Sanford, Maryland, 4-6,6-0,6-2
Claudine Paulson/Anouk Tigu, Arkansas defeated Sonja Molnar/Jessica Young, Iowa, 5-7,7-6(5),6-2