The Wildcats season came to a crashing halt last Thursday when Northwestern was left out of the NCAA tournament, leaving a bitter coating on what was actually a sweet season.
NU (13-9, 7-5 Big Ten) finished the year third in the Big Ten, four spots ahead of its 2000 finish. But, unlike the previous year, the Cats missed out on a tournament trip.
“I’m disappointed that we didn’t make the tournament,” sophomore Jackie Jenkins said. “But we’ve got our heads up and we’re going to take this and run with it.”
NU can take a lot from the way they started and ended the season. The Cats jumped out to a 6-0 record – their best start in a decade – and ended the season with a 5-2 stretch.
The Cats figured out how to compile wins, but struggled to get the big win against top opponents, losing eight of nine dual matches to tournament teams. NU lacked the significant wins necessary – wins that other Big Ten foes possessed – to earn a bid to the tournament. A 4-3 loss to Notre Dame in February squelched the early season run and sent the Cats into a midseason slump.
“I look at three huge points of disappointment in the season,” captain Brad Erickson said, “the loss to Notre Dame, getting knocked out of Big Tens by Ohio State and not getting an entry to the tournament.”
Outside of the hardships, NU found new life in the waning weeks of the season by shaking up its lineup. The Cats had failed to win seven of eight doubles points in the middle of the season, when assistant coach Jay Udwadia found a more balanced attack that succeeded for the rest of the year. They won six of their last eight doubles points.
Erickson and junior Joost Hol split up at No. 1 doubles to move to No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Hol paired with junior Ryan Edlefsen and Erickson joined up with sophomore Josh Axler, while the No. 2 team of Jenkins and junior Russell Bennett moved into the top spot.
The balanced doubles attack reflected the team’s depth up and down the roster.
“Every single guy on the team could play No. 1,” Jenkins said. “Everyone’s going to have a bigger responsibility and I think we’ll be up for it.”
The Cats got the most help in their wins at the bottom of the order. Axler won 10 out of 11 Big Ten singles matches at No. 6 and one more at No. 5. Paired with Erickson, Axler also won six of his last seven doubles matches.
At the top, Erickson made it happen in his senior season, earning his second straight All-Big Ten award and ending his career with a 70-61 record.
“This year was the most fun I’ve had,” Erickson said. “It was a rewarding year even though we didn’t quite get the chance to play in NCAA’s.”
Erickson was the only senior on a deep team that will return all of its starters next year. Coach Paul Torricelli said he has already wrapped up one recruit who should find his way into the starting lineup, and another could be on the way.
“We felt like we were a really improved team this year,” Erickson said. “When you see the improvement manifest itself in dual matches that only sparks it further to keep going.”
The Cats know how close they came to playing another week of tennis, and that gives them something to build on for next season. The players have already mapped out a summer regimen to keep their games in top form. With their depth and an extra year of experience, NU could move up another rung on the Big Ten ladder and climb back into the NCAA tournament next year.
