EVANSTON, Ill. (March 30, 2023) – Northwestern women’s tennis (5-10, 1-2 B1G) is back at the Combe Tennis Center this weekend to finish off a three-match homestand. No. 5 Michigan makes its way to Evanston on Saturday for a 12 p.m. tilt on Saturday afternoon ahead of a Sunday visit from Michigan State that is also slated for a noon start.
Northwestern enters the week as part of a tightly contested middle pack in the Big Ten Conference standings that sees fifth through tenth separated by just one match.
Back to work for ?? ?????? matches at home this weekend!
April 1 vs. Michigan (12 p.m.)
April 2 vs. Michigan State (12 p.m.) #GoCats pic.twitter.com/pxopmRDq83
— NU Women’s Tennis (@NUWildcatTennis) March 27, 2023
LAST TIME OUT
The ‘Cats came up on the short end of a pair of decision to top-10 ranked opponents last week, falling on the road at No. 10 Duke, 7-0, last Wednesday before dropping a 4-0 decision to No. 7 Ohio State this past Sunday in Evanston. In the matchup against the Buckeyes, Justine Leong found herself on the brink of an upset over No. 21 Irina Cantos Siemers. Leong took the first set, 6-3, and built a 6-5 edge in the second set, but saw the match go unfinished.
LOOKING AHEAD
Michigan (13-3, 5-0 B1G) makes its way to Evanston as one of the nation’s top teams, currently sitting fifth in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Team Rankings. The Wolverines continued their perfect start to Big Ten Conference play last weekend inside the Varsity Tennis Center, dispatching No. 17 Wisconsin, 5-2, and Minnesota, 4-0.
Head coach Ronni Bernstein’s team, which took home the Big Ten Tournament title last season, has four players ranked in the ITA Singles Rankings, including No. 30 Jaedan Brown and No. 37 Julia Fliegner. Brown and Kari Miller, who ranks 47th nationally on the individual front, comprise the nation’s second ranked doubles tandem, holding an 8-4 mark in dual action.
Set to visit No. 34 Illinois on Friday before taking on the ‘Cats, Michigan State (8-8, 1-4 B1G) is mired in a stretch that has seen it drop four of its last five contests, all against Big Ten opposition. The lone win in that stretch came last Saturday, when the Spartans upended Minnesota, 4-0, before coming up on the short end of a 5-0 decision to No….
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