March 30, 2006
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern's sixth-ranked women's tennis team resumes conference play this weekend when it hosts No. 26 Indiana at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 1 and Penn State at 11 a.m. Sunday, April 2. The Wildcats have been on fire as of late, winning their last three matches with 7-0 shutouts and taking 10 of their last 12 duals.
Northwestern enters the match after going 3-0 last week. The 'Cats took wins over Washington, Michigan State and then-No. 27 Michigan, all by 7-0 shutouts. The Wildcats swept every match versus the Huskies and Spartans, while dropping only their No. 1 doubles contest to the Wolverines.
The Wildcats, who are the only Big Ten team ranked in the top-25, have put together this string of impressive wins due to spectacular individual performances from the top to the bottom of the lineup.
Thirty sixth-ranked freshman Georgia Rose (Mettawa, Ill./North Shore Country Day) has been a big reason for the Wildcats' continued success this year. Despite not having even one full season of collegiate experience under her belt, Rose has dominated the competition. She holds a 26-6 overall record, and is a perfect 14-0 in dual matches while playing primarily at the No. 2 or No. 3 spots. Rose has won 18-consecutive singles matches and is the reigning Big Ten Athlete of the Week after going 6-0 in combined singles and doubles last week.
Ninth-ranked senior Cristelle Grier (Epsom, England/Putney) has compiled an 8-2 record at No. 1 singles this spring and is 26-9 overall this year. The All-American has taken 13 of her last 15 singles matches and four of her last six contests versus ranked opponents.
No. 26 Alexis Prousis (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) owns a team-high 27 singles victories this season. Prousis is 10-4 in dual action this season while playing mostly at the No. 3 spot, and has won nine of her last 11 matches.
Senior Feriel Esseghir (Sarasota, Fla./Brickhouse Academy) has won her last three matches, while classmate Jamie Peisel (Savannah, Ga./Savannah Country Day) has taken her last four and freshman Nazlie Ghazal (Temecula, Calif./Chaprarral) has won five-straight matches.
Considering how impressive the Wildcats have been in singles play, it's hard to believe they could be any better in doubles competition - but they have.
The team of Rose and Esseghir has posted an 8-1 record at No. 2 doubles this spring, while taking wins in its last four matches.
At No. 3 doubles, Ghazal and Peisel have been key for the Wildcats' doubles success this season. The duo is 10-2 this spring and 15-4 overall this year.
Northwestern's seventh-ranked doubles tandem of Grier and Prousis is 18-6 overall this year. The two have played at the No. 1 doubles spot for a majority of the season and are 6-4 at the top spot this spring.
The Hoosiers enter the weekend 13-4 overall and 3-0 in the Big Ten. IU has won six of its last eight matches and has taken victories in its last four duals. Indiana has topped ranked opponents - No. 68 Louisville, No. 33 Purdue and No. 59 Illinois - in its last three contests.
Freshman Sigrid Fischer leads the team in singles wins with 14. Of those 14 wins, nine have come in the No. 5 position. More over, Fischer is a perfect 3-0 when playing at the No. 4 slot.
Sarah Batty has seen most of the action at No. 1 singles for the Hoosiers. Batty is 17-10 overall this year, while compiling an 11-6 record at the top singles position.
In doubles, the team of Batty and Laura McGaffigan is 21-7 this year, including a 14-3 mark at No. 1 doubles.
Northwestern trails Indiana 17-25 in the all-time series.
Penn State enters the match with a 7-6 overall record, 1-2 in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions are winners in three of their last four matches, but fell their last time out to No. 39 Purdue, 7-0.
Freshman Lauren Holzberg has compiled a team-high 17 wins this season for PSU, and stands at 10-3 in dual play while seeing a majority of action at the No. 4 position.
Junior Sasha Abraham has played at No. 1 singles most of the year for Penn State, and is 5-7 in dual matches. She is 12-12 overall on the season.
The Wildcats are a perfect 20-0 all-time versus the Nittany Lions.