YSU Set To Take On 10th-Seeded Wolverines In NCAA Regional

[IAA Fan]

The Youngstown State women's tennis team will take on 10th-seeded Michigan in the NCAA Regionals on Friday in Ann Arbor, Mich., at the Varsity Tennis Center.

The Penguins (16-8) are making their fourth consecutive appearance at the NCAA Regionals and will be facing a Big Ten foe for the second straight year. Michigan (21-5) has appeared in the NCAA Regionals for 16 straight years.

First serve for the contest is set for 1 p.m. following the first match which features Dartmouth against No. 17 Kentucky.

This is the first-ever meeting between the two programs, but the Guins are familiar with the Varsity Tennis Center. The Penguins recently won a pair of matches to claim the Horizon League Championship. YSU also won Horizon League titles at the facility in 2014 and 2016.

YSU has won its last 10 matches entering the contest at Michigan. The Penguins started the season 4-1 before winning four of their next nine matches. Since March 25, YSU has reeled off 10 straight wins, one shy of the school record.

YSU's 16 wins tie for the second-most wins in a season school history. The Penguins won 17 matches in 2014-15 and 16 in 1998-99.

Four Penguins enter the postseason on winning streaks of four-or-more matches. Senior Nehel Sahni has won eight straight matches, Noelly Longi Nsimba and Dominika Lackova have won five straight while Imaan Hassim has won her last four decisions.

This is the fourth NCAA appearance for Lackova and Sahni, third for Sofia Macias and second for Ana Stroe and Nsimba.

The Wolverines have won eight of their last nine matches are and 11-0 at home this season. UM has a top-10 ranked doubles team and a pair of singles players ranked in the top 30 nationally.

In the newest ITA rankings (May 4), junior Alex Najarian and sophomore Kate Fahey stayed at No. 9 for the third straight week. Najarian and Fahey are 26-4 overall, with a 15-3 mark at No. 1 during dual matches. The two were ranked as the nation's No. 1 doubles team earlier this season. On the singles side, Brienne Minor (No. 24) and Fahey (No. 26) are the lone Wolverines ranked.

In October, Nsimba battled Minor to the three-set decision at the ITA Midwest Regionals. Nsimba dropped a 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 decision to Minor in East Lansing, Mich.

The winner of Friday's match will play on Saturday at 1 p.m.

[go guins]

Can't help but notice YSU athletic programs are on a real roll.  Softball, both M & W track programs and cross country, football, golf, and the dramatic recruiting for MBB have been nothing short of fabulous.  The WBB program was crushed last season by injuries, but has a very healthy tradition as well. Great job kids, (I do feel a very steady and powerful hand at the head of all this.  No names, but JT might be the initials!)

[IAA Fan]

Can't help but notice YSU athletic programs are on a real roll.  Softball, both M & W track programs and cross country, football, golf, and the dramatic recruiting for MBB have been nothing short of fabulous.  The WBB program was crushed last season by injuries, but has a very healthy tradition as well. Great job kids, (I do feel a very steady and powerful hand at the head of all this.  No names, but JT might be the initials!)

I think you mean "RS". JT is quite out of sports at this point. BTW. don't forget Bowling.

[go guins]

Can't help but notice YSU athletic programs are on a real roll.  Softball, both M & W track programs and cross country, football, golf, and the dramatic recruiting for MBB have been nothing short of fabulous.  The WBB program was crushed last season by injuries, but has a very healthy tradition as well. Great job kids, (I do feel a very steady and powerful hand at the head of all this.  No names, but JT might be the initials!)

I think you mean "RS". JT is quite out of sports at this point. BTW. don't forget Bowling.

Oh yes Bowling!  The Title 9 sport of the year!

RS??  Don't make me laugh!  He has been here 20+ years and Executive Director for 16 years.  Go back and look at what happened every year, every sport since he was in charge before JT came back, and what has happened since JT is here.  You can bet your last dollar that NOTHING of importance goes on at YSU, especially if it relate to sports that JT isn't involved in.  You think Strollo finally moved on Wolford or got Pelini here?  You think Strollo finally moved on Slocum and recruited Calhoun? 
Read this quote from Coach Calhoun on accepting the job: "First of all, I want to thank President (Jim) Tressel,"  After the comma, he also mentioned Strollo and the entire YSU community, but he knows which end is up and how is driving the ship!

[IAA Fan]

sorry buddy. Actually they had their eye on someone else, who signed with another school and yes it was 100% Strollo as we did not have the salary to offer. Tressel is the one that felt we should renew Slocum 3-years ago. and that was actually minor influence at best. If Strollo would have pushed JT, Slocum would not have renewed. Slocum did not want to replace coach H, but H resigned and Strollo gave cold expectations to Wolf with a 1-year extension. If you listen or read coach P's attorney, you will see that the first person he called was Strollo ... NOT president Tressel. Strollo was not 100% sold on Pelini, as none of us are; but he did his homework and made the call; only time will tell if it was the right decision. All of our successful sports are title-IX related, so why blame Strollo, when it was actually Tressel that ignored title-IX as an AD. Strollo had to move heavy and quickly in order to meet NCAA deadlines imposed almost a decade earlier, which he did. Our success in women's athletics is also 100% because of Strollo. It was Strollo who has reshaped this campus with his awesome work on facilities.  Look at track and tennis, both sports where success in women's programs aided in the success of the men's. Look how we went from what had become essentially a diving-only team to the return of a Swimming and Diving team (I may not agree with the decision, but it is one Strollo made). It is easy to get caught up in what is new and exciting; but only time will tell. You may not agree with a limited number of things that he has said; or 1 maybe 2 decisions he has made, but Strollo is 100% Penguin. His coaching decisions may not have always worked out, but they were more than solid selections & we recovered mostly through his guidance. Strollo has given YSU an athletic program to be proud of, and one that can now move into any conference. Strollo may have respect for JT, with good reason, but he is far from a dog at the end of Tressel's leash.

[go guins]

sorry buddy. Actually they had their eye on someone else, who signed with another school and yes it was 100% Strollo as we did not have the salary to offer. Tressel is the one that felt we should renew Slocum 3-years ago. and that was actually minor influence at best. If Strollo would have pushed JT, Slocum would not have renewed. Slocum did not want to replace coach H, but H resigned and Strollo gave cold expectations to Wolf with a 1-year extension. If you listen or read coach P's attorney, you will see that the first person he called was Strollo ... NOT president Tressel. Strollo was not 100% sold on Pelini, as none of us are; but he did his homework and made the call; only time will tell if it was the right decision. All of our successful sports are title-IX related, so why blame Strollo, when it was actually Tressel that ignored title-IX as an AD. Strollo had to move heavy and quickly in order to meet NCAA deadlines imposed almost a decade earlier, which he did. Our success in women's athletics is also 100% because of Strollo. It was Strollo who has reshaped this campus with his awesome work on facilities.  Look at track and tennis, both sports where success in women's programs aided in the success of the men's. Look how we went from what had become essentially a diving-only team to the return of a Swimming and Diving team (I may not agree with the decision, but it is one Strollo made). It is easy to get caught up in what is new and exciting; but only time will tell. You may not agree with a limited number of things that he has said; or 1 maybe 2 decisions he has made, but Strollo is 100% Penguin. His coaching decisions may not have always worked out, but they were more than solid selections & we recovered mostly through his guidance. Strollo has given YSU an athletic program to be proud of, and one that can now move into any conference. Strollo may have respect for JT, with good reason, but he is far from a dog at the end of Tressel's leash.

So you say. 
All these improvements you site are all Strollo?   Seriously? 
Strollo is the one with the vision?  Seriously?
Strollo is the one raising the money?  Seriously?   
JT ran his football without yelling, carrying on, and without calling attention to himself, but had his finger on every detail.  Runs his university the same way. 
I go back to the 12 years Strollo was in charge before JT came back.  Which program or facility was imporved during those 12 long losing years?  -0-  My mother used to say "the proof is in the pudding" 

[IAA Fan]

If you are asking me to deny JT's influence, I am not that stupid. However, JT will admit himself that he is a fraction of the AD that Strollo is, which is why Tressel got Strollo into the AD position and Strollo makes decisions. Strollo did not build the academic buildings that improve our campus; but he watched his pennies as was needed until it came time for some facilities money to go toward athletics and he took full advantage of it. You cannot be one of those naive people that simply blame Strollo for everything that is wrong, and Tressel for everything that is right.

[go guins]

. You cannot be one of those naive people that simply blame Strollo for everything that is wrong, and Tressel for everything that is right.

No, Strollo isn't responsiblie for everything that is wrong, but he didn't fix much either.  And Tressel isn't responsible for everything that is right, but the improvement to the university in attendance, finances and the vast majorty of the sports programs is undeniable EXACTLY consistant with the arrival of JT.  That's a FACT, plain and simple. Jim Tressel is GREAT LEADER, a trait almost the entire population lacks.   One of the good things about great leadership is it allows and make the people around them better.  That is what Jim is doing for Ron. 
The problem Obama and Trump have is it's all about them, but not JT. 
You've got 12 years of Strollo without JT at the helm, tell me what you see.  Then look at RS with JT and tell me what you see. 

[IAA Fan]

. You cannot be one of those naive people that simply blame Strollo for everything that is wrong, and Tressel for everything that is right.

No, Strollo isn't responsiblie for everything that is wrong, but he didn't fix much either.  And Tressel isn't responsible for everything that is right, but the improvement to the university in attendance, finances and the vast majorty of the sports programs is undeniable EXACTLY consistant with the arrival of JT.  That's a FACT, plain and simple. Jim Tressel is GREAT LEADER, a trait almost the entire population lacks.   One of the good things about great leadership is it allows and make the people around them better.  That is what Jim is doing for Ron. 
The problem Obama and Trump have is it's all about them, but not JT. 
You've got 12 years of Strollo without JT at the helm, tell me what you see.  Then look at RS with JT and tell me what you see.

True about Tressel's fund-raising, but untrue about athletics. Every sports improvement came while Strollo was AD. Nothing under Tressel or Malmasar & I don't think we truly even had AD's before that. You are only looking at football, back at a team that was not even playing in a conference and scheduled the easiest teams that would get us in the post-season, with post-season requirements less than half as tough as they are now. I mean did you ever see YSU playing any MBB teams out of the Big-East or SEC before Strollo? Did you ever see football getting any "money games" before Strollo? Did you ever see any facilities being built ... i.e.: Stadium upgrades, new weight rooms & staff, MBB upgrades, WATTS, baseball stadium, all of the new women's facilities on campus and the new outdoor track facilities just going in now? I mean it was Narduzzi that got Stambaugh built and it was against the wishes of the YSU administration & he paid for it by being dismissed; then YSU brags about the stadium. Under Strollo, YSU has become a true DI school in every facet of athletics. Sure the "good old boys" network still exists as is has for my entire life and as it will continue to exist for the rest of it; but we are accomplishing things now. Maybe it is too slow in coming for many and I fully understand this, but at least is is finally here and we have to give credit where it is due.

[go guins]

"Every sports improvement came while Strollo was AD. Nothing under Tressel" 
So according to you, nothing good has happened since JT has been president?  You know that is BS as well as I know it is BS.  Strollo record for 12 years before JT stands for itself.  The progress on ALL fronts for YSU under President Tressel stands for itself.  You can be as delusional as you want, the facts are the facts. 
You can be as much a Strollo supporter as you want but giving HIM credit for the WATTS is outragous!  Perhaps you should so a little reasearch into what WATTS stands for? (I know you know and S sure as hell isn't for STROLLO!)

Whatever you want to think, it's fine with me, but the facts of the 12 pre-Tressel years for Strollo and the 4 since stand for themselves.

[IAA Fan]

"Every sports improvement came while Strollo was AD. Nothing under Tressel" 
So according to you, nothing good has happened since JT has been president?  You know that is BS as well as I know it is BS.  Strollo record for 12 years before JT stands for itself.  The progress on ALL fronts for YSU under President Tressel stands for itself.  You can be as delusional as you want, the facts are the facts. 
You can be as much a Strollo supporter as you want but giving HIM credit for the WATTS is outragous!  Perhaps you should so a little reasearch into what WATTS stands for? (I know you know and S sure as hell isn't for STROLLO!)

Whatever you want to think, it's fine with me, but the facts of the 12 pre-Tressel years for Strollo and the 4 since stand for themselves.

No but Tressel has been president with only Strollo as the AD. I was talking about Tressel as an AD, as I clearly said. Also, Tressel's name is on there because of a donation more than anything else. You know who deserves more credit for WATTS than most? ... Jon Heacock. It was Strollo that was tasked with getting the place built. Stop acting as though I give no credit to Tressel ...all I am doing is giving credit to Strollo.

[go guins]

"Every sports improvement came while Strollo was AD. Nothing under Tressel" 
So according to you, nothing good has happened since JT has been president?  You know that is BS as well as I know it is BS.  Strollo record for 12 years before JT stands for itself.  The progress on ALL fronts for YSU under President Tressel stands for itself.  You can be as delusional as you want, the facts are the facts. 
You can be as much a Strollo supporter as you want but giving HIM credit for the WATTS is outragous!  Perhaps you should so a little reasearch into what WATTS stands for? (I know you know and S sure as hell isn't for STROLLO!)

Whatever you want to think, it's fine with me, but the facts of the 12 pre-Tressel years for Strollo and the 4 since stand for themselves.

No but Tressel has been president with only Strollo as the AD. I was talking about Tressel as an AD, as I clearly said. Also, Tressel's name is on there because of a donation more than anything else. You know who deserves more credit for WATTS than most? ... Jon Heacock. It was Strollo that was tasked with getting the place built. Stop acting as though I give no credit to Tressel ...all I am doing is giving credit to Strollo.

Now you are changing time frames.  Seems to me you know my argument is sound so you want to change the argument.  You completely lost me when you credited Strollo with the WATTS center to support a "pre-Tressel" argument.  That is absurd and you know it.  What JT did for his former employer was, to my knowledge, completely unprecedented and you tried to trivialize it.  Sorry, I am out for now.

[IAA Fan]

Well I never trivialized anything with JT. He is a better President than most thought he would be in a shorter period of time and a successful one-time coach for us. As to WATTS, I would only ask you to realize that the cash was more the "W" than the "T" ...wife and father-in-law. As to changing time frames, my comment was that even Tressel will admit that Strollo is a better AD that Tressel ever was ... and I stand behind that statement. After all he was Strollo's predecessor.

The fact was, many things were ignored with Tressel as AD ...except the football schedule. Strollo has had to Shift financial resources without destroying football and the fact is that none here wants to give him credit. The second fact is you falsely think that president Tressel is the hidden force behind a supposed recent upturn in sports, when the fact is the only recent upturn was the second half of last year's football team, led by a coach that Strollo hired. A successful new sport in bowling, which Strollo put in place. You all complain about a good-old-boy system, when it has been in place for probably 50-years (or more) now. Yet you act as though this system is Strollo's doing. It is this good-old-boy system that got Tressel hired at YSU ...twice. The truth is that Strollo accomplished much in cooperation with and "despite" this good-old-boy system and I am happily reminded of that fact every time I visit campus and see the new facilities. So in review ...everything that is good with sports is Strollo, as is everything that is bad. In less than 10-years president Tressel will be able to claim the same for the university. If Calhoun works out great, if not we will move on; in both cases it is Strollo. It is a not as if Tressel (or Strollo) miraculously doubled the MBB HC's salary, yet Strollo has has been very creative in use of resources to generate funds for this new staff and program. Yet I know, if they are successful it will be Tressel and if it is a failure, it will be Strollo's doing.   LOL

[go guins]

"The second fact is you falsely think that president Tressel is the hidden force behind a supposed recent upturn in sports,"  YES I DO!  And I stand by my opinion that Tressel is IN FACT, the force behind the sports improvement, AND the financial improvement, AND the enrollment improvement at YSU.  Your blind denial to JT's influence and blind support of an AD with a 12 year track record of absolutely nothing accomplised before JT returned is completely lost on me. 
And by crediting Strollo with the WATTS center you certainly and absolutely DID trivialize the commitment to YSU by a former employee.   And your minimizing the financial commitment by JT to the WATTS center is another attempt to trivialize his efforts on behalf of YSU.  Do you suppose his father-in-law would have made a donation to YSU without Jim Tressel’s efforts?  You thing your boy Strollo would have built that feature.  You think your boy Strollo would have talked Pelini into coaching at 1AA without the WATTS or without Tressel?  Seriously?
IMO, for some reason lost on me, you are delusional with Strolloitis, or anti-Tresselitis.  JT is the best thing to happen to YSU since becoming a State University, and Strollo is an employee nobody will remember 18 months after he leaves.  I don’t have any for time for this thread.  Have a nice summer.

[IAA Fan]

"The second fact is you falsely think that president Tressel is the hidden force behind a supposed recent upturn in sports,"  YES I DO!  And I stand by my opinion that Tressel is IN FACT, the force behind the sports improvement, AND the financial improvement, AND the enrollment improvement at YSU.  Your blind denial to JT's influence and blind support of an AD with a 12 year track record of absolutely nothing accomplised before JT returned is completely lost on me. 
And by crediting Strollo with the WATTS center you certainly and absolutely DID trivialize the commitment to YSU by a former employee.   And your minimizing the financial commitment by JT to the WATTS center is another attempt to trivialize his efforts on behalf of YSU.  Do you suppose his father-in-law would have made a donation to YSU without Jim Tressel’s efforts?  You thing your boy Strollo would have built that feature.  You think your boy Strollo would have talked Pelini into coaching at 1AA without the WATTS or without Tressel?  Seriously?
IMO, for some reason lost on me, you are delusional with Strolloitis, or anti-Tresselitis.  JT is the best thing to happen to YSU since becoming a State University, and Strollo is an employee nobody will remember 18 months after he leaves.  I don’t have any for time for this thread.  Have a nice summer.

Your blind denial to JT's influence and blind support of an AD with a 12 year track record of absolutely nothing accomplised before JT returned is completely lost on me.

   Obviously.

And by crediting Strollo with the WATTS center you certainly and absolutely DID trivialize the commitment to YSU by a former employee.   And your minimizing the financial commitment by JT to the WATTS center is another attempt to trivialize his efforts on behalf of YSU.  Do you suppose his father-in-law would have made a donation to YSU without Jim Tressel’s efforts?

Do you think Watson would have given that much if JT was not his son-in-law? Actually he is a long-term benefactor, that is how JT met his current wife.

You think your boy Strollo would have talked Pelini into coaching at 1AA without the WATTS or without Tressel?  Seriously?

Again I will remind you that it was Pelini that "dropped his hook in the pond that is YSU", we never actively pursued him' we are not that idiotic. It was Ron Strollo that was tasked with making sure we 'could and should' hire Pelini and the jury is still out.