Women's Tennis clinches the OAC Regular Season title with 9-0 sweep at Muskingum; Gales joins 100-Win Club

By: Monique Bowman

NEW CONCORD - The Ohio Northern women's tennis team swept Muskingum 9-0 Friday night, taking sole possession of the Ohio Athletic Conference Regular Season title.

Northern improves to 19-4 overall and finishes the regular season undefeated in the OAC with an 8-0 record. This is the second year straight and third time in four seasons that the Polar Bears have been OAC Regular Season champions.

The Muskies fall to 4-9 overall (1-7 OAC) and will be the No. 8 seed in the conference tournament.

Junior Christie Gales also became a member of ONU's 100-Win Club with a pair of victories.

Gales is now 43-31 in singles, 57-27 in doubles and is 100-58 overall in her three seasons as a Polar Bear.

Northern dominated the entire match at Muskingum, starting with wins at doubles. Sophomore Michelle Tuma and Gales won 8-0 at No. 1 doubles, as did freshmen Brittany Miller and Kristin Cellentani at No. 2 doubles.

Junior Jenny Provost and sophomore Allison Talbert won 8-1 at No. 3 doubles.

Tuma at No. 1 singles, Cellentani at No. 4 singles, sophomore Kelsi Wurm at No. 5 singles and Gales at No. 6 singles all won their matches 6-0, 6-0.

Miller won No. 2 singles 6-0, 6-4, while sophomore Carly Olmstead won 6-0, 6-1 at No. 3 singles.

The Polar Bears solidified its spot as the No. 1 seed in the 2012 OAC Women's Tennis Tournament earlier in the season.

ONU will host the eighth-seeded Muskies on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. in the quarterfinal round at University Courts, weather permitting.