Men host No. 2 Buckeyes; struggling women on road

The No. 24 Minnesota men’s tennis team welcomes Penn State and No. 2 Ohio State this weekend for what will be the final two regular season home matches of the year.

The Buckeyes are in the midst of a 72-match win streak in the Big Ten. Seven players on their 12-man roster are ranked in the ITA Top 125, with freshman Blaz Rola currently ranked fifth nationally.

Penn State, conversely, is still searching for its first Big Ten win of the season.

“We have four matches left in the regular season. We have to treat each one as if it’s the only match left on our schedule,” head coach Geoff Young said.

For the first time all season, the Gophers have a player ranked in the ITA top 125. Tobias Wernet came in at No. 101 in the latest poll. The senior leads the team in wins with 13 and comes into the weekend on a five-match win streak.

“I care about the team,” Wernet said when asked about what the ranking means to him.

Wernet, along with fellow seniors Sebastian Gallego and Derek Peterson, will be honored before the Ohio State match on Senior Day.

Reeling women on road

The Gophers women’s team will play Penn State and Ohio State this weekend before returning home next weekend to finish the season.

Since defeating BYU on Feb. 18, Minnesota is 1-10, losing eight consecutive matches from Feb. 20 to April 2.

Injuries have been the story for the Gophers this season. Since March 4, Minnesota has played with a full lineup just twice in nine matches, going 1-1.

Penn State is 6-12 on the season and is coming off a 6-1 loss to Michigan.

While the Ohio State women aren’t as dominant as their male counterparts, the Buckeyes come into the weekend with an 11-9 record and ranked No. 64 in the country.