Feb. 22, 2012
No. 9 Northwestern (5-3, 0-0 Big Ten) vs. No. 16 Georgia Tech (4-4, 0-0 ACC)
Friday, February 24
Combe Tennis Center
Evanston, Ill. 5 p.m.
Live Stats
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern returns home for the first time in nearly a month, but the ninth-ranked Wildcats will not be welcomed with an easy task at hand. The 16th-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets visit the Combe Tennis Center at 5 p.m. Friday for a high-flying nonconference clash.
Fresh off a trip to Charlottesville, Va., for the ITA Indoor Team National Championships, Northwestern has proven itself to be a battle-tested group, going 2-2 against four of the nation's top-10 opponents this season. In singles play, the Wildcats are led on the No. 1 line by junior Kate Turvy (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Coffman), who jumped to No. 11 in the country after going 4-3 against ranked opponents this year.
Positioned at No. 2 singles, Junior Brittany Wowchuk (Toronto, Ont./Oakville Trafalgar) also climbed in the ITA's most recent rankings, vaulting from No. 86 to No. 45, posting a 5-2 overall record this spring. Wowchuk earned a marquee win over Virginia's No. 30 Lindsey Hardenbergh in the Wildcats' 4-2 upset win over the then-No. 9 Cavaliers.
With a 5-2 record this spring, Linda Abu Mushrefova (Bradenton, Fla./Pendleton) is a solid keystone for the 'Cats, playing at No. 5. The junior is 2-1 against ranked foes in singles play and heads up the No. 1 doubles team with sophomore transfer Veronica Corning (Beverly, Mass./Pingree School/Boston College). The two are 1-1 this season, but have had two matches go unfinished, both of which favored the 'Cats at the time.
Northwestern is trying to avenge an early season loss to the Yellow Jackets in 2011, in which the Wildcats fell in Atlanta, 5-2. The Ramblin' Wreck comes to Evanston with a 4-4 overall record, but 0-3 on the road. GT and NU have had similar opponents in UCLA, Virginia and North Carolina this season in the ITA National Indoor Championships. The Yellow Jackets went 0-3 versus those teams, while the 'Cats claimed two of three.
Georgia Tech is led in singles by Jillian O'Neill at No. 1. She and Alex Anghelescu form the Yellow Jackets' No. 1 doubles tandem, earning an impressive 6-2 record, with five of those wins coming against ranked opponents. Lynn Blau leads GT with five singles wins in 2012, and has five doubles victories when paired with Elizabeth Kilborn.
Friday's match is designated as Northwestern's High School Night. Admission is free for all fans and free pizza will be provided to all in attendance.
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