EVANSTON, Ill. (April 19, 2023) – No. 74 Northwestern women’s tennis (9-12, 5-4 B1G) will wrap up the regular season portion of its 2022-23 schedule this weekend as it welcomes a pair of ranked foes to the Combe Tennis Center. The ‘Cats will entertain No. 53 Iowa on Saturday ahead of a Sunday clash with No. 68 Nebraska, with both matches scheduled to begin at 12 p.m.
Prior to Sunday’s matchup with the Cornhuskers, Northwestern will honor Aino Alkio and Briana Crowley in a Senior Day ceremony.
LAST TIME OUT
After recording a 7-0 win by forfeiture over Minnesota, Northwestern saw its four-match win streak snapped in a 4-0 setback at No. 21 Wisconsin on Sunday at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison, Wis. Maria Shusharina (1-6, 6-6) and Sydney Pratt (6-7 (4-7), 5-5) each found themselves on the brink of second-set wins, but saw their contests go unfinished.
‘CATS IN THE POLLS
For the second time in as many weeks, Northwestern finds itself ranked in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Team Rankings, checking in at No. 74.
The pairing of Christina Hand and Justine Leong continued their stay in the ITA Doubles Rankings, landing at No. 48 in the final poll of the regular season.
LOOKING AHEAD
Iowa arrives in Evanston coming off a weekend sweep of Rutgers, 4-2, and No. 62 Maryland, 4-3, that saw the Hawkeyes run their record to 11-8 overall (6-3 B1G) and climb to No. 53 in the ITA Team Rankings.
Daianne Hayashida has spearheaded the attack for Iowa in singles play in 2023, posting a 9-3 record that includes a 3-0 mark in conference play. Hayashida has been victorious in each of her last four finished matches.
Nebraska, ranked No. 68 by the ITA, sits at 14-8 overall (3-6 B1G) after splitting two matchups last weekend. The Cornhuskers dropped a 4-1 decision to No. 62 Maryland before blanking Rutgers, 4-0.
Samantha Alicea and Raphaëlle Lacasse make up one of the Big Ten’s top doubles duos. Currently riding a three-match win streak, the pairing is 6-1 in Big Ten play and hold an impressive 13-1 overall record that has it ranked 89th nationally.
EYE ON THE POSTSEASON
Following the completion of its regular season slate this weekend, Northwestern will turn its attention towards the Big Ten Women’s Tennis Tournament, set for April 26-30 in West Lafayette, Ind. A full bracket will be…
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