It was 5-3 in the second set when Sadhaf Pervez’s shot went into the net.
Sophomore Marine Piriou had just won, giving the Northwestern women’s tennis team a victory over Ohio State at the Johnson Tennis Center, the Big Ten regular season championship and an undefeated season.
And the No. 11 Wildcats (19-4, 10-0 Big Ten) could finally have their cake.
Piriou’s win clinched the match and the perfect conference record, but the celebration – which included a cake brought by an NU supporter – remained on hold until senior Shannon Duffy’s match ended.
“All of us were sitting on the side,” NU senior Colleen Cheng said. “Marine was up 40-love in the game and it was the championship point. Everyone was pretty excited, but we couldn’t show it because Shannon (Duffy) was still playing.”
Despite winning the Big Ten championship the past two years, the Cats could not lay claim to a perfect Big Ten regular season until this year. NU dominated 6-1 against Penn State (13-7, 5-4) on Saturday to set up Sunday’s clincher against the Buckeyes (16-9, 7-3).
But Ohio State was no cakewalk. NU coach Claire Pollard said the match against the No. 33 Buckeyes was one of the toughest this season.
“They were lucky to get their best players on the court early,” Pollard said. “If you are going to beat them, you need to beat them with depth.
“It was a great match because it tested us. We won so easily last month that it was a good gut check for us. It showed our composure and what a great team we are.”
In her second match back from mononucleosis, Duffy beat Ohio State’s Laura Maloney at No. 5 singles for her 104th career victory.
“(Saturday Duffy) looked like she had been out for a month and today she looked like she had been playing for a month,” Pollard said. “The adrenaline of competition is making her better.”
The Cats took five straight singles matches after losing the doubles point and falling at No. 1 singles, where No. 33 Kristy Dascoli upended No. 40 Cheng, 6-4, 6-0.
Until Sunday’s dual, NU had taken the doubles points in all Big Ten matches.
“We got down pretty quick, and they got a lot of momentum,” Duffy said. “But it motivated us. Each one of us took it upon herself to win. We didn’t want to get down to the wire, and so we played great singles.”
Pollard called the loss at No. 2 doubles a fault in the match. NU’s tandem of Lia Jackson and Jessica Rush fell 9-7 to Pervez and Laura Maloney.
But Jackson won the most hotly contested match of the day 6-4, 6-1 over Monica Rincon.
“It was one of her best matches all year,” Pollard said. “But she played within herself. It’s hard to play with that much intensity, but she knows and I know that’s the secret to her success.
“Rincon doesn’t like to lose and neither does Jackson.”
Duffy summed up the team’s attitude: “At this point we are so stubborn that we won’t lose. No matter how ugly the tennis I play, I will win – that’s the team’s philosophy and it makes us all better players.”
The Cats were barely off the court before their thoughts turned to the Big Ten championship, which starts Friday.
“In the tournament we are going to figure out that no one can beat us,” Cheng said. “It gives us confidence to know that we have played and beaten every team out there.
“We are going to go out and celebrate tonight, but we know that we still have the tournament left – we can’t call ourselves champions yet.”
