WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (April 27, 2023) – The fifth-seeded Northwestern women's tennis team (12-12, 7-4 B1G) punched its ticket to the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament this afternoon, downing 13th-seeded Rutgers by a 4-1 final at the Schwartz Tennis Center in West Lafayette, Ind.
Northwestern flexed its muscle early en route to claiming the doubles point. The pairing of Briana Crowley and Justine Leong cruised to a 6-0 decision before Aino Alkio and Maria Shusharina posted a 6-1 win to put the 'Cats up, 1-0.
Shusharina, just 24 hours removed from being named a three-time All-Big Ten Conference selection, carried momentum over to singles play, downing Jackeline Lopez (6-3, 6-1) for her fifth straight victory, extending the lead to 2-0. Leong, also an All-Big Ten pick, added a win in straight sets of her own, dispatching Tara Chilton (6-4, 6-4) to reestablish a two-point lead for the Wildcats, 3-1.
After dropping her second set, Sydney Pratt put away any hopes of a Scarlet Knights' rally, notching a 6-3 third-set triumph to defeat Daria Cardenas (6-3, 2-6, 6-3) and secure the 'Cats spot in Friday's quarterfinal round.
Northwestern now turns its attention towards a date with fourth-seeded Wisconsin, which is ranked No. 21 in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Team Rankings. First serve between the Wildcats and Badgers is slated for 11 a.m. (CT) on Friday morning in West Lafayette, Ind.
Northwestern flexed its muscle early en route to claiming the doubles point. The pairing of Briana Crowley and Justine Leong cruised to a 6-0 decision before Aino Alkio and Maria Shusharina posted a 6-1 win to put the 'Cats up, 1-0.
Shusharina, just 24 hours removed from being named a three-time All-Big Ten Conference selection, carried momentum over to singles play, downing Jackeline Lopez (6-3, 6-1) for her fifth straight victory, extending the lead to 2-0. Leong, also an All-Big Ten pick, added a win in straight sets of her own, dispatching Tara Chilton (6-4, 6-4) to reestablish a two-point lead for the Wildcats, 3-1.
After dropping her second set, Sydney Pratt put away any hopes of a Scarlet Knights' rally, notching a 6-3 third-set triumph to defeat Daria Cardenas (6-3, 2-6, 6-3) and secure the 'Cats spot in Friday's quarterfinal round.
Northwestern now turns its attention towards a date with fourth-seeded Wisconsin, which is ranked No. 21 in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Team Rankings. First serve between the Wildcats and Badgers is slated for 11 a.m. (CT) on Friday morning in West Lafayette, Ind.