March 25, 2002
EVANSTON, Ill. - When Northwestern men's tennis head coach Paul Torricelli and his team boarded a plane for California last Friday, they had no idea they would be escaping Chicago's late-season snowfall.
The 'Cats (10-3, 4-0 Big Ten) are spending NU's spring break on a California road trip that has them at the University of San Diego March 26 and Fresno State March 28.
NU is also faring well in the Omni Hotels Collegiate Tennis Rankings. The 'Cats bounded to No. 36 in the March 20 poll, finally breaking out of the 40s.
West Coast universities rarely play indoor tennis, and these matches mark the first outdoor events for NU this season. No. 57 San Diego is 7-1 at home, but 7-8 overall, while Fresno State has fallen out of the rankings after a 3-12 start.
The trip to the Golden State serves as a homecoming for players Jamie Sahara (Santa Maria, Calif./St. Joseph) and Joost Hol (Newport Beach, Calif./Foothill), as well as Torricelli, a native of the Bay Area.