The location will be familiar, but the lineup won’t.
In preparation for hosting its first-round match of the NCAA tournament, the Northwestern women’s tennis team made a slight change in the doubles rotation.
The alteration could play an important role as NU (22-4) faces Illinois-Chicago Saturday at 2 p.m. in its first home NCAA regional match in team history.
“It’s going to help to sleep in our own beds, eat our own food and go to our classes,” senior Shannon Duffy said. “We’re used to our courts. I’m nothing but happy to have it here.”
But Duffy was removed from doubles play because of the residual effects of her bout with mononucleosis, which kept her out of the lineup for a month.
The third doubles team will consist of Simona Petrutiu and Ruth Barnes rather than Petrutiu and Duffy.
“It was a really hard decision because you are taking out one hell of a player,” coach Claire Pollard said. “But (playing both singles and doubles) is a lot to ask of her body. She’s healthier, but she’ll still have mono for a while.”
Doubles play has been a focus for NU all year, especially because of the lineup adjustment.
Pollard said the doubles teams have usually been in a position to win, but luck hasn’t always been on their side.
“We have been great at No. 1 doubles,” Pollard said. “At No. 2 we’ve been a little up and down, but we’re starting to have more up days than down days.”
The more time the Wildcats spend practicing doubles, the faster the transition period will be, Pollard said.
Petrutiu and Barnes played doubles together earlier this season when Duffy was out. Once lineups are submitted for the tournament, they cannot be changed.
There was doubt that the Cats would host the regional – one of the top 16 teams is shipped to another site for the first two rounds – until the announcement of the seedings.
This year, Southern California got shipped, flying out to Old Dominion (Va.).
Meanwhile, Illinois-Chicago, Kentucky and Virginia travel to NU for the weekend’s matches.
Pollard said she is optimistic about the team’s chances this weekend.
“Illinois-Chicago is a pretty good team, but we’re a little better,” she said. “They are not a fully funded program, so they don’t have the recruiting we do.
“We are clearly the favorite.”
Kentucky and Virginia have both had big wins this season, Pollard said. Virginia beat No. 20 North Carolina, a team that defeated the Cats in February.
Pollard said hosting a regional does not change the Cats’ approach to the tournament.
“There are pros and cons to traveling and to staying at home,” Pollard said. “We’re just trying to downplay the negative side.”
Last year the Cats were sent to Tulsa, Okla., for the regional, which they won to advance to the Sweet 16. NU lost to top-ranked Stanford in that round.
This year the Cats have higher expectations, and they aren’t scared of anyone.
“The tournament is up for grabs,” Duffy said. “There have been some incredible upsets among the top 10. Georgia is most likely the team we would meet in the Elite Eight, and they have been beaten this year.
“It’s definitely a window of opportunity.”
While this is Duffy’s last trip to the NCAAs, it’s the first for freshmen Barnes and Jessica Rush.
Rush, who plays No. 6 singles, has been in the lineup all year, while Barnes has filled in occasionally for Duffy.
“The older players are definitely helping me,” Rush said. “They don’t seem nervous. Their positive attitude and work ethic are affecting me.”
Duffy is full of confidence leading into the tournament, saying NU’s stubbornness will be the deciding factor in its matches.
“I’m just looking for one more trip to the Sweet 16,” Duffy said. “It’s a great draw and it’s my last chance in the tournament.
“We can’t let anything slip away. We want to miss more classes next week.”
