May 9, 2011
NCAA Championship First and Second Rounds
Tournament Central Website -- Links to Live Scoring
#16 Northwestern (20-7) vs. IPFW (27-3)
Fri., May 13
UPDATE: After Northwestern won the doubles point vs. IPFW, the match shifted indoors to the Combe Tennis Center due to a drop in temperatures. Singles will begin at approximately 2:30 p.m. CT.
Evanston, Ill 1 p.m.
Live Stats
Northwestern (20-7) or IPFW (27-3) vs. Notre Dame (16-9) or Fresno State (11-13)
Sat., May 14
Vandy Christie Outdoor Tennis Center
Evanston, Ill Noon
Live Stats
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern's quest to reach the NCAA Championship's round of 16 for the 11th time in 12 years will be an uphill battle, but the Wildcats are no strangers to hanging tough against stiff competition. NU begins its tournament a first-round matchup with Summit League champions IPFW at 1 p.m CT on Friday. Should the `Cats beat the Mastodons, they will earn the right to face either Notre Dame or Fresno State in the tournament's second round on Saturday. Competition will take place both days at the Vandy Christie Outdoor Tennis Center, weather permitting.
Sixteenth-seeded Northwestern is one of 16 regional host sites around the country where four teams are vying for a trip to the University of Georgia for the tournament's round of 16.
Big East champion Notre Dame and WAC champion Fresno State will kick off the weekend at 10 a.m. Friday in the tournament's opening round. Northwestern and IPFW will continue the first round shortly after with an expected start time of 1 p.m. Live stats for all three matches are available by clicking the links at the top of the page. Complete results, recaps and quotes as well as the updated interactive NCAA Championship bracket will be available on NU's official regional Web site.
Admission Information
Admission to the matches each day will be $7 for adults, $4 for children under 18 and senior citizens over 55. Thanks to the Northwestern tennis coaches, the first 50 NU students will be admitted for free on both Friday and Saturday. There will be light concessions available each day of the NCAA Regional Championship as well as t-shirts and other apparel available for purchase. In the event of inclement weather, the action will shift indoors to the Combe Tennis Center, located inside NU's Sports Pavilion and Aquatic Center (2311 Campus Drive). Fans are advised to utilize street parking off Sheridan Road for Friday's matches regardless of venue.
'Cats Against the Field
Northwestern and IPFW will square off for the first time in the two programs' history on Friday. IPFW is making its second-consecutive NCAA appearance after taking home the Summit League championship, defeating UMKC, 4-0 in the conference tournament. Last season the Mastodons fell in the NCAA's first round to fifth-ranked Notre Dame, 4-0. Northwestern is more familiar with the remaining potential opponents, having faced both Notre Dame and Fresno State at least five times before. The `Cats are 14-4 against the Irish, including a come-from-behind victory this year in Evanston. Notre Dame took the doubles point and the first two singles matches in their dual in early April, but NU stormed back to take the final four matches to edge the 20th-ranked Irish. Northwestern is also familiar with Fresno State, holding a 4-2 record against the Bulldogs. Most recently, Northwestern outlasted Fresno State in the 2009 NCAA round of 16, 4-1, for a trip to the quarterfinals.
Twenty-Somethings
With its three victories at the Big Ten Tournament in Ann Arbor, Northwestern raised its season win total to 20, marking the seventh straight year NU has reached that plateau. In her 12 seasons in Evanston, head coach Claire Pollard's squads have reached 20 wins 10 times and won 19 matches the other two years. Before Pollard's arrival at Northwestern in the fall of 1998, the 'Cats had not topped 20 wins since the 1986-87 season.
Worth the Price of Admission
Once again, Northwestern sports a lot of youth in the NCAA Championships, but the group has the demeanor - and the record - of a more experienced team. As the lone senior, Maria Mosolova will be the anchor for a team that is coming off an exciting comeback victory to win the Big Ten Tournament. The `Cats found themselves in a 3-0 hole, but third-set wins by both Mosolova and freshman Belinda Niu, were able to edge No. 10 Michigan, 4-3, for the tournament title.
Mosolova, who was selected to the NCAA Singles Championship, leads Northwestern with her 20 singles victories on the season. Niu, named as the No. 8 alternate in the singles championship, follows closely behind with 19 wins. They both pair up to form the No. 2 doubles team, going 15-5 in dual matches. Sophomore Linda Abu Mushrefova and freshman Nida Hamilton, who form the 11th-ranked doubles team in the nation, have earned a spot in the NCAA Doubles Championships, following completion of the NCAA Team Championship. The duo will lead Northwestern as No. 1 doubles and have won a team-best 16 matches. Junior Elena Chernyakova and sophomore Brittany Wowchuk have won 13 matches this season as the No. 3 doubles team. The tandem won all three of their matches in the Big Ten Tournament and is currently on a five-match win streak.
Wowchuk, who missed six weeks of the season due to injury, has earned 11 singles victories and has had a solid last-half of the season playing at the No. 3 position. Sophomore Kate Turvy has won 18 singles matches this season, going 9-1 on the No. 4 line. Abu Mushrefova (12 wins), Hamilton (10 wins) and Stacey Lee (13 wins) have all split time between the Nos. 5 and 6 spots, each contributing key wins throughout the season.
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