Before the Northwestern men’s tennis team faced Michigan Sunday, NU coach Paul Torricelli wrote down his singles lineup just like he has done before every dual match this year.
Junior Brad Erickson playing No. 1 singles. Sophomore Joost Hol playing No. 2 singles — so far nothing much out of the ordinary.
Freshman Jackie Jenkins at No. 3. Now here’s where it gets interesting.
“Gee, I don’t know how many freshman are playing at three,” Hol said.
Added Jenkins: “Actually, I had no intention of playing that high, really. But coach put me there and it’s been a great experience for me.”
The bottom half of the lineup was strung with more youth than the top as freshmen Josh Axler and Russell Bennett played No. 4 and No. 5. Finally, another veteran — sophomore Jamie Sahara — rounded out the top six.
That’s three freshmen playing at the Wildcats’ (7-8, 1-4 Big Ten) top five singles spots. NU’s opponents this weekend — Ohio State (9-6, 3-1) on Saturday and Penn State (9-6, 0-4) on Sunday — started three freshmen combined at singles in their latest duals. NU and Purdue are the only conference teams that played three freshmen in singles in their most recent match.
Playing three freshmen consistently at singles in the Big Ten is not all too comMonday, but the Cats think they have adjusted to it nicely.
“(The freshmen) have fit in great,” Torricelli said. “They work hard and they help the team chemistry a lot.
“When you have a small group of eight guys, it’s really important that everybody get along and they just have made a tremendous contribution. And the experience they’re getting is invaluable. … I couldn’t be happier with that.”
NU also has freshman Chuck Léger, who did not play last weekend against the Wolverines, and Scott Kurtis, a junior in his first year on the team. Consequently, the Cats are left with only three players — Hol, Erickson and Sahara — who played tennis at the collegiate level before this season.
Hol said at the beginning of the year he had doubts the Cats would be in the position — only one match under .500 — they’re in now.
“I didn’t expect to do that well,” Hol said. “I was actually more worried about myself playing No. 1 or No. 2. I remember Brad and I saying, ‘We’re going to struggle. This is going to be tough. We’re not going to win.’ But we’ve been doing all right. And (the freshmen) have won some good matches.”
NU continues to preach its season goals: to finish .500 in the Big Ten and hopefully squeak into the NCAA Tournament. But with all the Cats’ young talent returning next year, some of the players also have been thinking about what the future might hold.
“I definitely think about the future,” Axler said. “And I look at this team and say we’re going to be great. But right now, I believe we’re playing really well.”
