April 22, 2006
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern's 11th-ranked women's tennis team is set to host Ohio State at 11 a.m. Sunday, April 23 at the Vandy Christie Tennis Center in its regular-season finale. The Wildcats already have won the Big Ten regular-season title, clinching the top spot for the upcoming conference championships.
The Wildcats enter the match with a 17-4 overall record and a perfect 9-0 mark in Big Ten play. The Wildcats have taken each of their last four matches, including both of their conference road matches last weekend. The 'Cats earned 6-1 victories over both Illinois and No. 46 Purdue, clinching their conference regular-season title.
The Wildcats have three players ranked in the most recent ITA poll.
Senior All-American Cristelle Grier (Epsom, England/Putney) is ranked No. 13. She has a 13-4 dual-match record this season and is 33-9 overall.
Junior Alexis Prousis (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) is ranked 36th. She is 30-11 overall this year.
Freshman Georgia Rose (Mettawa, Ill./North Shore Country Day) is ranked No. 42. She is a perfect 9-0 in conference singles play this year and is a team-best 33-6 overall. Rose is on the brink of making school history in her rookie season as she has won 26-consecutive singles matches. She is now just two wins short of tying Grier's school record of 28-straight wins.
In doubles, Grier and Prousis combine for the nation's 11th-ranked team. Rose and Alexis Conill (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Cardinal Gibbons) play together as the 56th-ranked doubles team.
Ohio State enters the match with a 13-10 record, 3-5 in the Big Ten.
Last weekend, the Buckeyes dropped a pair of Big Ten matches. Ohio State was defeated by the Michigan Wolverines 6-1 Saturday, then fell to Michigan State, 4-3.
Buckeye freshman Angela DiPastina leads the Buckeyes in singles with 20 overall victories. Junior Kristin Messmer is only one win off the lead with 19 overall victories. Messmer leads the Buckeyes with a career-high 14 dual-match victories.
In doubles, Ciara Finucane leads the way with 22 overall individual victories. The leading doubles team is the duo of Finucane and Kristin Messmer who are now 19-9 overall on the season.
Northwestern leads the all-time series with Ohio State 25-6. Last year's meeting resulted in a 7-0 Wildcat victory in Columbus on April 23.