‘Cats Look To Bounce Back At Notre Dame Saturday

EVANSTON, Ill. (February 9, 2023) – Northwestern women’s tennis (3-3) makes the short trek east on Saturday to South Bend, Ind. to battle Notre Dame.  First serve between the Wildcats and Fighting Irish is slated for 11 a.m. (CT) inside the Eck Tennis Pavilion.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Northwestern jumped out to an early lead this past Sunday against Georgia Tech before ultimately dropping a 5-2 decision to the visiting Yellow Jackets at the Combe Tennis Center.  The ‘Cats wasted no time in clinching a victory in doubles, with Christina Hand and Justine Leong (6-4) and Kiley Rabjohns and Maria Shusharina (6-2) picking up wins.
 
In singles, Rabjohns put a point on the board for the ‘Cats, bouncing back from a 6-1 setback in her opening set to rally past Kate Sharabura (1-6, 6-3, 6-0).
 
RANKINGS UPDATE
A pair of Wildcats appear in the inaugural NCAA Division I Women’s National Singles and Doubles Rankings of 2023, which were released by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) on Wednesday.
 
Hand, who currently holds a 3-3 record on the year, finds herself at No. 74 on the singles chart.  Hand is one of 15 Big Ten student-athletes to appear in the rankings.
 
Hand also finds herself ranked in doubles, alongside her playing partner Leong.  The pairing, who come in at No. 46, have been a force, going 5-1 in six appearances, a mark that includes a sparkling 4-0 record at home.
 

5-1 to start the year in doubles? Yeah, we’ll go ahead and call them a ?????????????? ??????.#GoCats pic.twitter.com/G5BgiRJWoR

— NU Women’s Tennis (@NUWildcatTennis) February 7, 2023

 
LOOKING AHEAD
Currently receiving votes in the ITA National Rankings, Notre Dame enters Saturday’s matchup with the Wildcats at 6-1 on the year.  The Fighting Irish bested Illinois by a 4-3 final last Sunday in Champaign, Ill.
 
Page Freeman (No. 91) and Yashna Yellayi (No. 115) both find themselves ranked for Notre Dame, which looks to protect a perfect 4-0 record at home on Saturday against the ‘Cats.
 
When Northwestern and Notre Dame met last season inside the Combe Tennis Center, Northwestern took control from the onset in a comprehensive 6-1 triumph.