After a season that ended with a heartbreaking loss to North Carolina in the NCAA quarterfinals, Ohio State lost one of the best players in collegiate tennis. J.J. Wolf turned pro last July, leaving a team that swept through the Big Ten but ultimately fell short of its final goal.
Ohio State, even without its star last year, was undoubtedly one of the best teams in the nation. But Wolf was the athlete that was able to bring the Buckeyes to the top. Without him, a true run for another championship this year seemed unlikely.
And then the season started.