Box Score | Season Stats
LINCOLN, Neb. – Northwestern reached the 20-win mark in 2016 with a 4-1 victory at Nebraska Friday night. The win was the sixth in a row for the Wildcats.
The No. 13 Wildcats (20-2, 6-0) have now posted 20-plus win seasons in each of the last four years.
"It is a major accomplishment by the players to win 20 matches in four consecutive seasons," head coach Arvid Swan said. "It shows consistency in performance, and we are eager to build on that number."
Chicago's Big Ten Team had to win four singles matches after dropping the doubles point, but it was up to the task, getting four in a row all in straight sets.
Sam Shropshire has been on a tear lately, and he won his fourth in a row with a 6-3, 6-4 decision at No. 2 to get Northwestern on the board. The 40th-ranked Shropshire is now 10-4 in the dual season.
He was followed in short order by No. 68 Strong Kirchheimer, who ran his record to 23-3 (17-1) with a 6-2, 6-3 victory at No. 3. Konrad Zieba, ranked No. 15 by the ITA, then came through with another straight set win at No. 1 over Dusty Boyer, his 13th over a ranked opponent.
Freshman Ben Vandixhorn clinched the team win for the third straight time with his victory at No. 6.
Northwestern lost the doubles point for only the fourth time this season with losses at Nos. 1 and 3. All three matches were decided by 6-4 scores. Konrad Zieba and Sam Shropshire picked up a win at No. 2 to improve to 12-2 on the year.
"Great job by the team to regain momentum after losing the doubles point," Swan said. "Nebraska is a very good team, and we had to play very well in singles to earn four points."
The Wildcats take their perfect Big Ten record to Iowa City on Sunday, when they face No. 63 Iowa at noon.
#13 Northwestern 4, Nebraska 1
Singles
No. 1 – #15 Konrad Zieba (NU) def. #122 Dusty Boyer (NEB), 7-5, 6-1
No. 2 – #40 Sam Shropshire (NU) def. Marc Herrmann (NEB), 6-3, 6-4
No. 3 – #68 Strong Kirchheimer (NU) def. Toby Boyer (NEB), 6-2, 6-3
No. 4 – Fedor Baev (NU) vs. Andrew Dzulynsky (NEB), 7-6, 3-3 (unfinished)
No. 5 – Alp Horoz (NU) vs. Tomislav Antoljak (NEB), 6-3, 4-4 (unfinished)
No. 6 – Ben Vandixhorn (NU) def. Bradford Zitsch (NEB), 6-4, 7-5*
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1, 6*
Doubles
No. 1 – Boyer/Boyer (NEB) def. Baev/Kirchheimer (NU), 6-4
No. 2 – Zieba/Shropshire (NU) def. Herrmann/Elsass (NEB), 6-4
No. 3 – Zitsch/Dzulynsky (NEB) def. Horoz/Kumar (NU), 6-4*
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3*
LINCOLN, Neb. – Northwestern reached the 20-win mark in 2016 with a 4-1 victory at Nebraska Friday night. The win was the sixth in a row for the Wildcats.
The No. 13 Wildcats (20-2, 6-0) have now posted 20-plus win seasons in each of the last four years.
"It is a major accomplishment by the players to win 20 matches in four consecutive seasons," head coach Arvid Swan said. "It shows consistency in performance, and we are eager to build on that number."
Chicago's Big Ten Team had to win four singles matches after dropping the doubles point, but it was up to the task, getting four in a row all in straight sets.
Sam Shropshire has been on a tear lately, and he won his fourth in a row with a 6-3, 6-4 decision at No. 2 to get Northwestern on the board. The 40th-ranked Shropshire is now 10-4 in the dual season.
He was followed in short order by No. 68 Strong Kirchheimer, who ran his record to 23-3 (17-1) with a 6-2, 6-3 victory at No. 3. Konrad Zieba, ranked No. 15 by the ITA, then came through with another straight set win at No. 1 over Dusty Boyer, his 13th over a ranked opponent.
Freshman Ben Vandixhorn clinched the team win for the third straight time with his victory at No. 6.
Northwestern lost the doubles point for only the fourth time this season with losses at Nos. 1 and 3. All three matches were decided by 6-4 scores. Konrad Zieba and Sam Shropshire picked up a win at No. 2 to improve to 12-2 on the year.
"Great job by the team to regain momentum after losing the doubles point," Swan said. "Nebraska is a very good team, and we had to play very well in singles to earn four points."
The Wildcats take their perfect Big Ten record to Iowa City on Sunday, when they face No. 63 Iowa at noon.
#13 Northwestern 4, Nebraska 1
Singles
No. 1 – #15 Konrad Zieba (NU) def. #122 Dusty Boyer (NEB), 7-5, 6-1
No. 2 – #40 Sam Shropshire (NU) def. Marc Herrmann (NEB), 6-3, 6-4
No. 3 – #68 Strong Kirchheimer (NU) def. Toby Boyer (NEB), 6-2, 6-3
No. 4 – Fedor Baev (NU) vs. Andrew Dzulynsky (NEB), 7-6, 3-3 (unfinished)
No. 5 – Alp Horoz (NU) vs. Tomislav Antoljak (NEB), 6-3, 4-4 (unfinished)
No. 6 – Ben Vandixhorn (NU) def. Bradford Zitsch (NEB), 6-4, 7-5*
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1, 6*
Doubles
No. 1 – Boyer/Boyer (NEB) def. Baev/Kirchheimer (NU), 6-4
No. 2 – Zieba/Shropshire (NU) def. Herrmann/Elsass (NEB), 6-4
No. 3 – Zitsch/Dzulynsky (NEB) def. Horoz/Kumar (NU), 6-4*
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3*