UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- No. 40 Northwestern ran its Big Ten record to 8-0 with a convincing 6-1 win at Penn State on Friday.
The victory sets up a big matchup on Sunday in Columbus between a pair of Big Ten unbeatens when the Wildcats take on fifth-ranked Ohio State.
NU surged in front on Friday by taking the doubles point. The No. 2 team of Alicia Barnett and Brooke Rischbieth dominated Samantha Tutelman and Ekaterina Blik, winning 6-0. The 25th-ranked duo of Alex Chatt and Maddie Lipp clinched the first point of the match by taking down Devan McCluskey and Kimberly Surin, 6-4.
The Wildcats took the first set in five of the six singles matches to set the tone early on. Chatt totally dominated Jacqueline Zuhse in their match at No. 4 as the NU sophomore rolled to a 6-0, 6-1 win, putting the 'Cats up 2-0 in the match.
Lipp, ranked 54th, followed with a 7-5, 6-2 victory at No. 3 over McCluskey before Rischbieth clinched the match for Northwestern with a 7-6, 6-1 triumph over Katherine Whiteaway at No. 6.
Jillian Rooney also picked up a win at No. 5 when Daria Sapogova was forced to retire with Rooney holding a 6-2, 1-6, 2-1 lead in the third set. NU also got a narrow victory from Barnett at No. 2 where she outlasted Blik 6-3, 6-7, 1-0 (9).
Northwestern (10-8, 8-0 B1G) gets its showdown with Ohio State started at 11 a.m. Central time Sunday.
#40 Northwestern 6, Penn State 1
Doubles
1. #25 Alex Chatt/Maddie Lipp (NU) def. Kimberly Surin/Devan McCluskey (PSU) 6-4
2. Brooke Rischbieth/Alicia Barnett (NU) def. Ekaterina Blik/Samantha Tutelman (PSU) 6-0
3. Erin Larner/Jillian Rooney (NU) vs. Katherine Whiteaway/Jacqueline Zuhse (PSU) 4-5 (unfinished)
Order of finish: 2, 1*
Singles
1. Kimberly Surin (PSU) def. #82 Erin Larner (NU) 6-3, 1-6, 6-3
2. Alicia Barnett (NU) def. Ekaterina Blik (PSU) 6-3, 6-7, 1-0 (9)
3. Maddie Lipp (NU) def. Devan McCluskey (PSU) 7-5, 6-2
4. Alex Chatt (NU) def. Jacqueline Zuhse (PSU) 6-0, 6-1
5. Jillian Rooney (NU) def. Daria Sapogova (PSU) 6-2, 1-6, 2-1 (ret.)
6. Brooke Rischbieth (NU) def. Katherine Whiteaway (PSU) 7-6, 6-1
Order of finish: 4, 3, 6*, 5, 2, 1
The victory sets up a big matchup on Sunday in Columbus between a pair of Big Ten unbeatens when the Wildcats take on fifth-ranked Ohio State.
NU surged in front on Friday by taking the doubles point. The No. 2 team of Alicia Barnett and Brooke Rischbieth dominated Samantha Tutelman and Ekaterina Blik, winning 6-0. The 25th-ranked duo of Alex Chatt and Maddie Lipp clinched the first point of the match by taking down Devan McCluskey and Kimberly Surin, 6-4.
The Wildcats took the first set in five of the six singles matches to set the tone early on. Chatt totally dominated Jacqueline Zuhse in their match at No. 4 as the NU sophomore rolled to a 6-0, 6-1 win, putting the 'Cats up 2-0 in the match.
Lipp, ranked 54th, followed with a 7-5, 6-2 victory at No. 3 over McCluskey before Rischbieth clinched the match for Northwestern with a 7-6, 6-1 triumph over Katherine Whiteaway at No. 6.
Jillian Rooney also picked up a win at No. 5 when Daria Sapogova was forced to retire with Rooney holding a 6-2, 1-6, 2-1 lead in the third set. NU also got a narrow victory from Barnett at No. 2 where she outlasted Blik 6-3, 6-7, 1-0 (9).
Northwestern (10-8, 8-0 B1G) gets its showdown with Ohio State started at 11 a.m. Central time Sunday.
#40 Northwestern 6, Penn State 1
Doubles
1. #25 Alex Chatt/Maddie Lipp (NU) def. Kimberly Surin/Devan McCluskey (PSU) 6-4
2. Brooke Rischbieth/Alicia Barnett (NU) def. Ekaterina Blik/Samantha Tutelman (PSU) 6-0
3. Erin Larner/Jillian Rooney (NU) vs. Katherine Whiteaway/Jacqueline Zuhse (PSU) 4-5 (unfinished)
Order of finish: 2, 1*
Singles
1. Kimberly Surin (PSU) def. #82 Erin Larner (NU) 6-3, 1-6, 6-3
2. Alicia Barnett (NU) def. Ekaterina Blik (PSU) 6-3, 6-7, 1-0 (9)
3. Maddie Lipp (NU) def. Devan McCluskey (PSU) 7-5, 6-2
4. Alex Chatt (NU) def. Jacqueline Zuhse (PSU) 6-0, 6-1
5. Jillian Rooney (NU) def. Daria Sapogova (PSU) 6-2, 1-6, 2-1 (ret.)
6. Brooke Rischbieth (NU) def. Katherine Whiteaway (PSU) 7-6, 6-1
Order of finish: 4, 3, 6*, 5, 2, 1