March 4, 2012
Site: Waco, Texas (Hurd Tennis Center)
Score: No. 12 Baylor 4 def. No. 8 Northwestern 2
Records: NU (5-6, 0-0 Big Ten), Baylor (12-4, 0-1 Big XII)
Next NU Event: Saturday, March 10 -- vs. No. 38 Illinois (Champaign, Ill.), 5 p.m.
WACO, Texas --No. 8 Northwestern wrapped up its two-match run through the state of Texas Sunday by falling to the 12th-ranked Baylor Bears in Waco, 4-2. The match was already the ninth of the season against a top-25 team for the Wildcats.
For the second straight time on this swing through the Lone Star State, the Wildcats found themselves behind early after losing two of three doubles affairs. NU's fourth-ranked pair of Linda Abu Mushrefova and Nida Hamilton lost against Nina Secerbegovic and Ema Burgic, 8-3. Veronica Corning and Brittany Wowchuk of the Wildcats led their match, 5-4, but they were unable to seal the deal after dropping four straight games to fall, 8-5. That win by Sona Novakova and Diana Nakic clinched the doubles point for the Bears.
Belinda Niu and Kate Turvy began the afternoon with more doubles wins than any other Northwestern duo this season and they only added to that total Sunday. Niu and Turvy defeated Megan Horter and Nicole Kosakowski, 8-5, to earn their sixth win of the year against zero losses.
Abu Mushrefova was the first Wildcat to dent the scoreboard in singles play after winning her match at No. 5 against Horter in straight sets, 6-0, 6-1. For the junior, it was her sixth singles victory during nonconference play.
Turvy, Corning and Stacey Lee all won their first sets in the one, four and six slots, respectively. Turvy was looking to upset another top-10 foe, this time No. 9 Nakic.
Niu, the lone singles winner on Friday night at No. 9 Texas, dropped her premier frame, 7-5 to Novakova. 47th-ranked Novakova went on to polish off Niu in the second set, 6-1, to earn Baylor's second team point.
No. 51 Wowchuk lost her battle with No. 32 Secerbegovic in two sets, 7-6 (2), 6-1 to extend the Baylor advantage to 3-1. Turvy was able to cut the deficit in half, however, when she took down Nakic, 6-3 once again, for her sixth win of the campaign.
With her team ahead, 3-2, Baylor's Burgic came back to take the second and third sets from Corning, 6-0, 6-4. That victory clinched the win for the Bears, their 12th already this spring.
Lee led 4-1 in the deciding set, but her match with Kosakowski was halted when Burgic delivered the necessary fourth point.
After a taxing nonconference slate thus far, the 'Cats will turn their attention to the equally grueling Big Ten schedule beginning Saturday. Northwestern opens conference play on March 10 downstate in Champaign against the Illinois Fighting Illini. The first serve for that match is set for 5 p.m.
Doubles
1. Nina Secerbegovic/Ema Burgic (BU) def. No. 4 Linda Abu Mushrefova/Nida Hamilton (NU) - 8-3
2. Sona Novakova/Diana Nakic (BU) def. Veronica Corning/Brittany Wowchuk (NU) - 8-5
3. Belinda Niu/Kate Turvy (NU) def. Megan Horter/Nicole Kosakowski (BU) - 8-5
Order of finish: 1, 2*, 3
Singles
1. No. 20 Kate Turvy (NU) def. No. 9 Diana Nakic (BU) - 6-3, 6-3
2. No. 32 Nina Secerbegovic (BU) def. No. 51 Brittany Wowchuk (NU) - 7-6 (2), 6-1
3. No. 47 Sona Novakova (BU) def. No. 118 Belinda Niu (NU) - 7-5, 6-1
4. Ema Burgic (BU) def. Veronica Corning (NU) - 2-6, 6-0, 6-4
5. Linda Abu Mushrefova (NU) def. Megan Horter (BU) - 6-0, 6-1
6. Stacey Lee (NU) vs. Nicole Kosakowski (BU) - 6-2, 5-7, 4 -1 (unfinished)
Order of finish: 5, 3, 2, 1, 4*
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