By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
COLUMBUS, Ohio – One of the best seasons in program history came to a close Saturday afternoon as the Tennessee Tech tennis team was downed 5-0 by No. 5 Ohio State in the opening round of the 2016 NCAA Championship from the OSU Varsity Tennis Center.
Behind a quartet of nationally ranked players, the fifth-ranked Buckeyes (31-2) showed all in attendance why they were one of the nation's best with victories in four singles matches, following two wins in doubles action to capture the doubles point over the Golden Eagles (15-7).
Despite the defeat, sophomore Eduardo Mena proved that no stage is too grand for the OVC's Player of the Year as the Bultrago del Lozoya, Spain native fought tooth and nail against the No. 1 player in the country, sophomore Mikael Torpegaard. In fact, Mena's featured battle against the nation's top-rated player did not finish, but the Tech sophomore won the only set that did, 7-6 (7-5), and led the country's top-rated player, 3-2, in the second set when the match was officially called.
Mena wraps up a storied sophomore season with a 33-5 overall record, the most wins in a single year in TTU history, including going 20-1 in dual action out of the No. 1 spot, highlighted by a perfect 9-0 OVC mark.
Junior Alberto Esteban took a page out of Mena's book in the No. 2 singles tilt with the Madrid, Spain native hardly budging an inch against the nation's No. 88 ranked player, senior Chris Diaz. Diaz seized a close win in the first set, 6-4, before Esteban led, 3-2, in the second when the match was called.
Although Ohio State was unable to crack the top of Tech's lineup, the Buckeyes displayed their depth in the remaining singles affairs with wins out of the No. 3-6 spots. Red-shirt junior Ralf Steinbach kicked off singles action with a 6-0, 6-1 nod over sophomore Marcos Bernardes out of the No. 4 slot, which was promptly followed by a No. 45 Hugo Di Feo, 6-2, 6-1, victory against freshman Guillermo Nicolas in the No. 3 position.
No. 103 Herkko Pollanen topped sophomore Jorge Alfonzo, 6-4, 6-1, in the No. 5 spot to officially secure the match for the Buckeyes, before freshman Martin Joyce tacked on an additional win with a 6-2, 6-3 defeat over senior Alvaro Cintas in the No. 6 slot.
In doubles play, Ohio State red-shirt sophomore Matt Mendez and Hugo Di Feo christened the match with a 6-0 win over Marcos Bernardes and Alvaro Cintas in the No. 3 position, before the Buckeyes clinched the doubles point thanks to the nation's No. 22 ranked doubles tandem of Mikael Torpegaard and Herkko Pollanen, who knocked off Alberto Esteban and Eduardo Mena, 6-2.
Guillermo Nicolas and Jorge Alfonzo stayed right with the No. 44 ranked doubles duo of Ralf Steinback and Martin Joyce as the tilt did not finish with the score deadlocked at 3-3.
The Buckeyes will now face No.33 Virginia Tech in the second round Sunday afternoon after the Hokies outlasted No. 20 Kentucky, 4-3, in the day's first match.
Overall, Tech concludes 2016 with 15 victories, the most since 2008. TTU's trip to the NCAA Championship marked the first since 2006 behind the club's fourth OVC regular season championship in five years, and third undefeated conference campaign over that same time period.