May 9, 2002
EVANSTON, Ill. - Consider the presesnce of the Northwestern men's tennis team in the 2002 NCAA Tournament an act of redemption.
After not getting the postseason nod in 2001 for the first time in six years, even with a record identical to this season's (13-9, 6-4 Big Ten), the Wildcats now have a chance to prove themselves in downstate Illinois.
NU's bracket of the NCAA Regionals consists of host Illinois, the tournament's No. 3 seed overall; Butler and Indiana State. The Fighting Illini and Butler face off Saturday, May 11 at 10 a.m. at the Atkins Tennis Center, while the Wildcats and Indiana State have the 2 p.m. match. The winners will play Sunday at noon.
"Our major goal was to return to the NCAA's this year," head coach Paul Torricelli said. "Our entire team is very excited. We have respect for Indiana State. They're a talented team and we will have to play our best to get past them."
Currently, the 'Cats are ranked 45th in the Omni Hotels Collegiate Tennis Rankings. They are coming off an early exit in the Big Ten Conference Tournament, falling 4-2 to Purdue in the quarterfinals.
Northwestern is led by Big Ten Freshman of the Year Tommy Hanus (Palatine, Ill./Palatine). The only freshman to play at the No. 1 spot in the Big Ten Conference, Hanus has posted a record of 20-12 this season.
Earlier this season, the 'Cats fell in a close 4-3 match to Indiana State. Avenging the earlier loss is part of this weekend's redemption.
Click here to read the Northwestern Men's Tennis NCAA Tournament notes in PDF format.