May 17, 2000
EVANSTON, ILL. - With a decisive win over Tulsa in the second round of the NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Championships, the 14th-ranked Wildcats will face top-ranked Stanford in the opening round at this week's NCAA Championships held at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif. On Thursday, May 18, the Wildcats will play the Stanford Cardinal at 5 p.m. The winner of the match will play either UCLA or Texas on Friday, May 19 at 2 p.m., for a berth into the Semifinals. The Wildcats enter the Championships with a 24-4 overall record and winners of their last 10 dual matches.
Northwestern at the NCAA Championships
Northwestern is making its 11th NCAA postseason appearance and is 7-10 (.411) in NCAA postseason play. Northwestern has made two quarterfinal appearances in its history. The first appearance came in 1986 when NU fell to Stanford, 5-1, after defeating UCLA (6-3) in the first round. The 'Cats defeated Indiana 5-4 in 1987 to advance to the quarterfinals where they were eliminated by Florida, 5-1.
Scouting Stanford
The Cardinal look to defend their NCAA Championship title this weekend in Malibu. Stanford has won 10 team titles since the creation of the tournament in 1982. Last year the Cardinal defeated Florida, 5-2, for the title. The top-ranked Stanford team, under the direction of head coach, Frank Brennan, are 27-0 entering the Tournament. The Cardinal advanced to the Sweet Sixteen by defeating No. 39 Fresno State in the second round of the NCAA Regional Tournament. Five of Stanford's top six players are ranked in the ITA national poll. Melissa Irvin is the nation's top player, posting a 19-0 dual record, and is the only player in the top 100 to remain undefeated. The Cardinal are on a 43-match win streak, dating back to a 7-2 win over Arizona on March 5, 1999. Stanford leads the series with Northwestern, 3-0.
You're Invited
NU's No. 1 player, senior Katherine Nasser, was selected to participate in the NCAA Singles Championships at Pepperdine from May 22-26. Nasser is ranked No. 51 in the nation and has tallied a 14-10 dual record during the spring and a 6-3 mark against Big Ten foes. She is 31-15 overall this season.
Dynamic Duo
Nasser and junior Colleen Cheng have been selected to participate in the NCAA Doubles Championships from May 22-26, in Malibu, Calif. The duo is ranked No. 32 in the nation and have an 11-9 dual record this spring. Overall, they are 11-10. The two have been ranked nationally all season. Their biggest win of the season came when they upset the then-No. 1 ranked doubles team of Martina Ondrejkova and Iva Puflerova of South Alabama, 8-3. The 'Cats went on to win the match, 5-3.
NU in the National Rankings
Northwestern has been a fixture in the national rankings all season. The 'Cats began the season ranked 20th and have not fallen below that. NU's highest ranking was 10th (March 15). They are currently 14th.
Head Coach Claire Pollard
Claire Pollard is in her second season at the helm of the Wildcat program. This season, Pollard's Wildcats won the Big Ten title and finished the regular season with 19 wins and only four losses. In her first season, Pollard guided the 'Cats to the conference title, only the third in Wildcat history. Pollard came to Northwestern from Lamar, where she compiled a 62-49 (.558) record. Pollard is 43-9 since arriving at Northwestern, an .827 win percentage.
PERFECTION
Junior Shannon Duffy won all 10 of her Big Ten singles matches this season for a perfect conference record. Duffy has won all but two conference matches since her arrival to Evanston in the fall of 1997, going 27-2. Duffy is 77-32 in her three-year collegiate career.
Fab Freshman -- Take Two
Freshman Marine Piriou has stepped into the Northwestern lineup and made an instant impact, earning a spot at No. 5 singles and No. 2 doubles. It appears that Piriou is following in the footsteps of sophomore teammate Lia Jackson, who made an immediate impact on the Wildcat squad last year. Jackson compiled a 19-5 overall record while playing at No. 5. Piriou has contributed monumentally, with a 33-6 singles record, and has teamed with Jackson for a 12-6 doubles mark.
Two Wildcats Selected to 2000 Tournament Team
Northwestern had two players selected to the 2000 All-Big Ten women's tennis team. Senior Katherine Nasser and junior Shannon Duffy represented Northwestern on this year's All-Big Ten team. Nasser made the All-Big Ten team for the fourth-straight year. She played at the No. 1 singles position all season and went 6-3 against Big Ten opponents. She has tallied an impressive 31-15 record overall this season. Duffy is making her third consecutive appearance on the All-Big Ten team. This season, she went undefeated against conference foes in singles (10-0).
Duffy/Weinraub A Formidable Pair at No. 3
Playing at No. 3 doubles, junior Shannon Duffy and senior Leigh Weinraub have been nearly unbeatable in league play. The duo went 7-1 this season in Big Ten matches and 9-3 overall. Their only conference loss came at the hands of Illinois' Rosenberg and Manasova by a score of 8-4. The other losses were to Notre Dame's Varnum and Vaughn, 8-2 and Minnesota's Sauska and Howard, 9-3.
In The Record Books
With her win on April 22, sophomore Lia Jackson added her name to the record books as the all-time single-season win leader. Jackson's 33 victories surpassed the old record of 31 held by current teammate Shannon Duffy set in 1998. Jackson holds a career record of 54-10.
30-Win Club
Four Wildcats have 30 or more wins this season. Lia Jackson leads the brigade with 38, while Marine Piriou has 33 wins. Colleen Cheng has 32 victories and Katherine Nasser 31.
Three Consecutive Winning Seasons
The Wildcats are 24-4 this season and have equalled last season's win total. In 1998, the Wildcats won 13 matches en route to a 13-11 record. This year's record is the best since the 1985 team went 24-7.
Northwestern vs. Ranked Teams
Over the course of the season, the 'Cats faced 19 nationally-ranked teams a total of 22 times. The Wildcats are 18-4 this season vs. ITA ranked teams at the time the match was played. All four of the 'Cats losses came at the hands of ranked teams, two of which were conference opponents. NU's biggest upset was at the National Team Indoors in Madison, Wis., when the then-No. 18 'Cats stunned fifth-ranked Mississippi, 5-2, and 14th-ranked South Carolina, 5-2.
Nasser Remains in the Rankings
Senior Katherine Nasser, the 1998 Big Ten Player of the Year, has been a constant in the ITA national rankings. She is currently 51st.
Duffy Receives ITA Ranking
Junior Shannon Duffy earned her first ITA ranking April 12. Duffy plays at No. 2 for the 'Cats and is 22-12 (10-0 Big Ten) in that slot. Duffy checked in at No. 91 in the April 26 rankings.
Depth Key to Wildcat Success
Depth has been a big factor in NU's success this season. Northwestern is just as strong at Nos. 1 through 3 as at Nos. 4 through 6. The bottom of the lineup has combined for 93 wins this season and just 25 losses. The top spots are 87-40 this season.
The Probable Matchups NU vs. Stanford
Northwestern
Singles
No. 1 Katherine Nasser
No. 2 Shannon Duffy
No. 3 Colleen Cheng
No. 4 Lia Jackson
No. 5 Marine Piriou
No. 6 Jennifer Lutgert
Doubles
No. 1 Nasser/Cheng
No. 2 Jackson/Piriou
No. 3 Duffy/Leigh Weinraub
Stanford
Singles
No. 1 Marissa Irvin
No. 2 Laura Granville
No. 3 Teryn Ashley
No. 4 Lauren Kalvaria
No. 5 Gabriela Lastra
No. 6 Jennifer Heiser
Doubles
No. 1 Ashley/Irvin
No. 2 Granville/Keiko Tokuda
No. 3 Kalvaria/Lastra
Notables
* Northwestern is making its 11th appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
* The Wildcats are on a 10-match win streak.
* Sophomore Lia Jackson is on an 11-match win streak.
* The last time a Wildcat won an individual title was in 1987 when Katrina Adams and Diane Donnelly were the doubles champions.
2000 NCAA Championship Schedule of Events
Thursday, May 18 -- Round of 16
USC vs. LSU -- 8 a.m. -- Lower Courts
Georgia vs. South Alabama 11 a.m. Ralphs-Straus TC
Florida vs. Notre Dame 11 a.m. Lower Courts
Duke vs. Arizona State 11 a.m. Ralphs-Straus TC
California vs. Vanderbilt 2 p.m. Lower Courts
Wake Forest vs. Tennessee 2 p.m. Ralphs-Straus TC
Stanford vs. Northwestern 5 p.m. Lower Courts
UCLA vs. Texas -- 5 p.m. -- Ralphs-Straus TC
Friday, May 19 -- Quarterfinals
Florida or Notre Dame vs. Duke or Arizona State 8 a.m.
Georgia or South Alabama vs. USC or LSU 11 a.m.
Stanford or Northwestern vs. UCLA or Texas 2 p.m.
Wake Forest or Tennessee vs. Cal or Vanderbilt 5 p.m.
Saturday, May 20 -- Semifinals
Right Half of bracket -- 10 a.m.
Left Half of bracket -- 2 p.m.
Sunday, May 21 -- Championship
Championships Match -- 1 p.m.