April 29, 2011
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Varsity Tennis Center)
Score: No. 19 Northwestern 4, Indiana 0
Records: NU (18-7, 9-1 Big Ten), Indiana (13-11, 3-7 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: Saturday, April 30 vs. Illinois (Ann Arbor, Mich.), 1 p.m. CT
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Northwestern and Indiana are the Big Ten's two most successful women's tennis programs, having won 26 conference championships between the two. After having the first day of the 2011 Big Ten Tournament off, the second-seeded Wildcats took to the outdoor courts to face the seventh-seeded Hoosiers for a chance to advance to the semifinals.
Northwestern held the advantage the entire afternoon, culminating with NU's No. 1 Maria Mosolova victory over Indiana's Leslie Hureau. The senior Wildcat took the first set easily, 6-2, and staved off a second-set comeback by Hureau to clinch the match for the 'Cats, 4-0.
"I thought we did a fine job today," said head coach Claire Pollard. "We had some good morning practices outside the last two days, and I think that paid off. We played with great energy, but we need to stay positive for this momentum to carry us into tomorrow against Illinois."
Northwestern began its tournament strong against Indiana with a successful doubles point, downing the Hoosiers' No. 3 and No. 1 pairs back-to-back. NU's Brittany Wowchuk and Elena Chernyakova jumped out to a 4-0 lead over IU's Sophie Garre and Diana Kyllmann, and eventually were able to defeat the Hoosier duo, 8-4.
Linda Abu Mushrefova and Nida Hamilton came into the tournament as the No. 11 doubles team in the country and proved to be every bit as good again on Friday. The Wildcat twosome began their day with a 4-1 lead over Indiana's Leslie Hureau and Myriam Sopel. Never losing more than one game in a row, Abu Mushrefova and Hamilton took their match, 8-4, giving NU the first crucial team point.
With the first team point settled, the No. 2 doubles bout was abandoned, but Maria Mosolova and Belinda Niu found themselves up 7-4 over Kayla Fujimoto and Evgenia Vertesheva and in position for the doubles sweep.
Needing only three more points to clinch the spot in the semifinals, Northwestern moved on to singles. Fresh off of her first career first-team All-Big Ten honors, sophomore Kate Turvy earned her 10th conference win of the season as she finished first for Northwestern, beating Charlotte Martin of Indiana, 6-2, 6-0. Not long after, Northwestern received a huge 3-0 cushion from the No. 5 position in Stacey Lee. Lee defeated Indiana's Kayla Fujimoto in straight sets, 6-0, 6-3, giving the 'Cats the boost they needed to stay on top.
Battling hard at the No. 1 spot was senior Maria Mosolova and Leslie Hureau. After Mosolova won the first set, Hureau found herself up 3-2 after earning three straight games, seemingly with most of the momentum on her side. But the four-time All-Big Ten Wildcat was able to turn things around, winning five of the last seven games.
After Mosolova's win, the three remaining matches were cut short. Belinda Niu had the 7-6 (7-5) advantage over Evegeniya Vertesheva, at No. 3, Brittany Wowchuck won her first set over Katya Zapadalova, 6-4, and Nida Hamilton found herself in a hole at No. 6 to 6-2, 4-2.
Northwestern will face intra-state rival Illinois at 1 p.m. CT on Saturday for a spot in the finals against either Ohio State or Michigan.
Singles
No. 1 -- Maria Mosolova (NU) d. Leslie Hureau (IU), 6-2, 7-5
No. 2 -- Belinda Niu (NU) vs. Evegeniya Vertesheva (IU), 7-6 (5), 2-1, abandoned
No. 3 -- Brittany Wowchuk (NU) vs. Katya Zapadalova (IU), 6-4, 3-4 abandoned
No. 4 -- Kate Turvy (NU) d. Charlotte Martin (IU), 6-2, 6-0
No. 5 -- Stacey Lee (NU) d. Kayla Fujimoto (IU), 6-0, 6-3
No. 6 -- Myriam Sopel (IU) vs. Nida Hamilton (NU), 6-2, 4-2 abandoned
Doubles
No. 1 -- Abu Mushrefova/Hamilton (NU) d. Hureau/Sopel (IU), 8-4
No. 2 -- Mosolova/Niu (NU) vs. Fujimoto/Vertesheva (IU), 7-4 abandoned
No. 3 -- Wowchuk/Chernyakova (NU) d. Kyllman/Garre (IU), 8-4
Order of Finish
Doubles: (1, 3*)
Singles: (4, 5, 1*)
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook! and subscribe to the NU Sports Express e-newsletter to receive the latest news, schedule updates and video and to interact with NU. For more information on following specific Northwestern teams online, visit our Social Media page!