The quest for a fourth straight Big Ten title begins this weekend for the Northwestern women’s tennis team as the Wildcats open conference play at home with a pair of matches against Michigan and Michigan State.
No. 13 NU (6-4) has been through a rigorous nonconference schedule in preparation for the Big Ten season, with six of its first 10 matches against teams currently ranked in the top 20.
The Cats whetted their appetite for Saturday’s opener with a 7-0 sweep of unranked Marquette on Wednesday.
Although younger and less experienced than last year’s team – NU lost its No. 1 and No. 3 singles players – the Cats don’t seem concerned.
“I believe we’re just as strong, if not stronger,” sophomore Ruth Barnes said. “We may have a little different kind of style this year, but we’re at the same level of play.”
The journey begins Saturday against the No. 70 Wolverines (3-3), who visit the Combe Indoor Tennis Center having lost their final two nonconference matches.
Sunday, NU will have to deal with the No. 75 Spartans (6-2), who arrive in Evanston boasting a three-match winning streak.
Although NU beat both the Wolverines and Spartans in Michigan last year in 7-0 sweeps, the matchups will be a little different this year.
Both of the Cats’ opponents have lineups that are predominantly composed of underclassmen. So NU can’t rely too much on scouting reports to guarantee success.
But for Barnes, who is originally from England, playing opponents that she’s never heard of isn’t a problem.
“The nice thing about being foreign is that I have no idea who I’m playing,” said Barnes, who plays No. 6 singles. “All I have to do is go out there, play the opponent and do my best. It’s wonderful.”
The NU starting lineup showcases three international players. Aside from Barnes, junior Marine Piriou hails from France, and senior Simona Petrutiu is from Romania.
Both Petrutiu and Piriou were integral parts of last year’s Big Ten champion team.
Petrutiu has an opportunity to extend her eight-game winning streak to double-digits this weekend.
But for now, the Cats aren’t concerned with the phrase, “fourth straight Big Ten title.” This weekend’s guests from Michigan are the bigger issue.
“I suppose it’s something that we keep in the back of our minds, but it’s not something that’s an immediate concern,” Barnes said. “Each upcoming individual match is always most important.”
