April 6, 2011
No. 16 Northwestern (11-5, 4-0 Big Ten) vs. No. 20 Notre Dame (11-8, 0-1 Big East)
Thursday, April 7
Combe Indoor Tennis Center
Evanston, Ill. 3 p.m.
Live Results: NUsports.com
No. 16 Northwestern (11-5, 4-0 Big Ten) vs. Iowa (5-10, 2-2 Big Ten)
Saturday, April 9
Combe Indoor Tennis Center
Evanston, Ill. 11 a.m.
Live Results: NUsports.com
MATCHDAY UPATE: Northwestern's match vs. Iowa will be played INDOORS at the Combe Tennis Center.
No. 16 Northwestern (11-5, 4-0 Big Ten) vs. Illinois (6-8, 3-1 Big Ten)
Sunday, April 10
Combe Indoor Tennis Center
Evanston, Ill. 11 a.m.
Live Results: NUsports.com
MATCHDAY UPATE: Northwestern's match vs. Illinois will be played OUTDOORS at the Vandy Christie Tennis Center.
EVANSTON, Ill. -- No. 16 Northwestern, which already boasts a 7-1 home record this season, will strive to build on its success in an upcoming six-match homestand. The stretch kicks off at 3 p.m. Thursday when the Wildcats, in search of a seventh consecutive victory, host regional rival and 20th-ranked Notre Dame.
After that, the Wildcats make a quick return to Big Ten Conference action when they welcome Iowa and Illinois to Evanston at 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Scheduling Notes:
All three of Northwestern's upcoming dual matches will likely be played indoors at the Combe Tennis Center (2311 N Campus Drive). However, improvements in this weekend's weather forecast could result in matches being shifted to the Vandy Christie Outdoor Tennis Center located at the corner of Sheridan Road and Lincoln Ave in Evanston. Announcements regarding a move to the outdoor courts will be posted on NUsports.com and tweeted @NU_Sports the morning of the event.
Fans attending Thursday afternoon's match against Notre Dame are instructed to park in the lots east of SPAC and immediately north of the artificial turf fields. Cars without parking permits in the lot west of SPAC will be subjected to normal parking rules prior to 4 p.m.
Match admission is free for all fans.
Catching Up with the 'Cats
Northwestern completed an impressive road trip last weekend that opened at No. 73 Ohio State, where NU cruised in doubles play and went on to post a 5-2 victory despite playing outdoors in less than ideal conditions. NU's Maria Mosolova and Belinda Niu shut out their opponents at No. 2 doubles, 8-0, and won swiftly at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, respectively, to pace Northwestern.
On Sunday, the Wildcats surrendered the first doubles match off the courts but won the remaining eight doubles and singles matches to post a 7-0 sweep of Penn State. NU was aided against both the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions by the return to the lineup of sophomore Brittany Wowchuk, who had been sidelined for over a month with a wrist injury suffered at the ITA National Indoor Team Championships on Feb. 19.
Pollard Approaches Coaching Milestone
Northwestern head coach Claire Pollard, now in her 13th season, enters this weekend only two dual wins shy of 300 for her outstanding Wildcat career. Pollard, the winningest coach in Northwestern women's tennis history, stands at 298-64 in her 13 years, a winning percentage of .823. She averaged just under 24 victories a season in her 12 full seasons, all of which have ended with Northwestern winning a Big Ten Tournament title.
Mosolova Garners Big Ten Player of the Week Honors
Senior Maria Mosolova was the recipient of Big Ten Player of the Week recognition for the second time this season Tuesday after leading NU to back-to-back conference wins over the weekend. Mosolova competed with teammate Belinda Niu at No. 2 doubles against Ohio State, blanking the Buckeyes' Kara Cecil and Noelle Malley, 8-0. The senior then topped Kelsey Haviland, 6-3, 6-0, at No. 1 singles to push the Wildcats to a 5-2 win.
Mosolova and Niu picked up their second win of the weekend at No. 2 doubles against Penn State, defeating Marie Bedard and Fernanda Perrotta, 8-4. Mosolova then took a 6-2, 6-1 decision over the Nittany Lions' Petra Januskova at No. 1 singles, helping Northwestern to a 7-0 sweep. Mosolova, an eight-time winner of the weekly award, now owns a career Big Ten dual singles record of 29-1.
NU in the Rankings
The Wildcats have continued to climb in the Campbell's/ITA College Tennis individual rankings, with Mosolova moving up from No. 52 to start the season to No. 16 in the most recent poll. Sophomore Brittany Wowchuk is holding onto the No. 50 spot while Niu checks in at No. 74. NU's fourth and final representative in the singles poll is Kate Turvy at No. 87.
Meanwhile, with several wins over top-10 opponents to their credit, Northwestern's Linda Abu Mushrefova and Nida Hamilton have now assumed the No. 7 spot in the national doubles rankings. The 2010 ITA Midwest Regional doubles champs are 12-3 overall and 8-2 in their last 10 matches.
Scouting the Fighting Irish
Notre Dame, which like Northwestern finished the 2010 dual season ranked in the top 10 in the nation, has suffered a few more losses this season than it had grown accustomed to. UND is 11-8 on the year with half its losses coming by 4-3 decisions. The Irish still boast a formidable dual lineup led by third-ranked Kristy Frilling, who is 23-1 in her junior campaign, and by No. 63 Shannon Matthews. In doubles, Frilling and Shannon Matthews have earned the No. 22 ranking thanks to their 18-5 overall record and their 15-3 dual mark at the No. 1 position.
Scouting the Illini
After an 0-3 start to the 2011 season, Illinois has begun to right the ship as it has improved to 6-8 on the year with a 3-1 mark in Big Ten play following back-to-back 4-3 victories over Purdue and Indiana. The Illini, who are under the tutelage of head coach Michelle Dasso and former Northwestern All-American Georgia Rose, have received a boost at the No. 1 position by junior Amy Allin, who is 4-0 in that role so far this season with all four wins coming in conference. On the doubles side, freshman Allison Falkin and sophomore Rachael White are 13-9 overall and 5-6 at the lead doubles line.
Scouting the Hawkeyes
Iowa opened this year with only one win in its first nine outings, but picked up consecutive wins against Penn State and Indiana recently to remain in the mix in the Big Ten standings. Junior Sonja Molnar continues to lead the Hawkeye lineup with her 11-4 record at the No. 1 singles position and a No. 101 national ranking. Northwestern, which has swept Iowa in each of their last two meetings, is 36-2 all-time against the Iowa City school.
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