April 12, 2002
EVANSTON, Ill. - A week ago, there were two undefeated teams in the Big Ten -- Northwestern and Wisconsin. This week -- the Wildcats stand alone.
Ranked 18th in the nation, the Wildcat women's tennis team will face No. 37 Wisconsin Saturday morning (11 a.m.) at the Vandy Christie Tennis Center.
"After last weekend we gained a lot of confidence after two tough matches," said Head Coach Claire Pollard. "My hope is that we can sustain the confidence this weekend."
Northwestern (14-5, 6-0) is on a quest for their fourth straight Big Ten title. The 'Cats will face a touch Wisconsin team on Saturday and will entertain No. 73 Minnesota (6-12, 1-6) on Sunday in an 11 a.m. match at the Vandy Christie Tennis Center.
Northwestern is lead by junior Marine Piriou at No. 1, and has a strong supporting cast from No. 2 all the way down to No. 6. Piriou is ranked 25th in the nation. The 'Cats have combined for 127 wins this season in 19 matches. Ranked 67th in the nation, sophomore Jessica Rush, playing at No. 3, owns a 25-10 record this season. Piriou, Rush and senior Lia Jackson are all undefeated in Big Ten matches this season.