The rest of the Big Ten better hope that history doesn’t repeat itself.
A year after compiling an undefeated Big Ten record and capturing a third straight conference title, the No. 13 Wildcats kicked off the 2002 Big Ten season in the same fashion it did a year ago – with 7-0 sweeps of Michigan and Michigan State.
“We went in there this weekend to show that we dominate the Big Ten,” senior Lia Jackson said. “I think we got the message across.”
NU (8-4, 2-0 Big Ten) started the Saturday meet at the Combe Tennis Center against the No. 70 Wolverines (3-4, 0-1) by sweeping the doubles matches to take the first point. The Cats’ singles players followed suit with six victories to complete the shutout. No. 3 singles Jessica Rush had the toughest time with her match but finished strongly to down Christine Nolan 2-6, 6-2, 10-8.
Despite the final score, NU coach Claire Pollard saw a few chinks in the Cats’ armor Saturday.
“We got a little frustrated against Michigan,” Pollard said. “I thought we sort of lost focus after we took the early lead.”
Pollard said the Cats need to adjust to the sudden drop in the level of competition after an arduous nonconference schedule.
“With all the tough teams we’ve been playing, we haven’t been used to keeping leads – we’ve just been trying to survive,” Pollard said. “We have to work on maintaining the gaps that we create.”
NU did just that Sunday against No. 75 Michigan State (6-4, 0-2). After winning all three doubles matches again, the Cats slammed the door shut with straight-set victories in all six singles contests.
The Cats won 96 games against the Spartans while dropping just 34.
“I thought we played a lot better Sunday against Michigan State,” Pollard said. “We’re better than both teams, and we showed it.”
In her Sunday singles lineup, Pollard flip-flopped senior Simona Petrutiu and the sophomore Rush, ranked No. 74 nationally.
Petrutiu, now at the No. 3 spot, has won 10 straight singles matches after capturing weekend victories over Michigan’s Leanne Rutherford and Michigan State’s Asa Liden. Both matches were decided in straight sets.
The Cats have made winning the doubles point a staple in recent meets, taking the important first point in their last five duals.
Rush and junior Marine Piriou, the nation’s No. 36 doubles team, won both of their weekend matches, 8-3 and 8-1.With the 2-0 weekend, the Cats are off to another strong start in the quest for a fourth straight Big Ten title. Although Pollard mentioned Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois as teams that may contend for the title, she hesitated to make any predictions.
“It’s way too early to tell right now who’s going to be good,” Pollard said. “There are too many things we don’t know.”
Despite the Cats’ early success, Jackson is also wary of the always-unpredictable Big Ten.
“In the Big Ten, anyone can just show up and rise to the top,” Jackson said. “So it’s hard to focus on just one team.”The Cats have next weekend off before facing Indiana on March 9, giving them their longest break of the season – a time NU hopes to use wisely.
“A lot of things can happen in the next two weeks, maybe a change in the lineup,” Pollard said. “The important thing is that we have to stay motivated.”
