Three consecutive Big Ten championships, the No. 13 ranking in the country, a 2-0 start in Big Ten play, and 13 days off – it sounds as if the Northwestern women’s tennis team can relax for a little while, right?
Wrong.
“We’re training extremely hard right now,” head coach Claire Pollard said. “Right now we’re killing them physically and torturing them mentally.”
But she is also making sure to reward her players for the stretch of grueling practices.
“I’m going to give them four days off for school and other purposes, and then it’s time to start preparing for Indiana and Purdue,” Pollard said.
The Wildcats (8-4, 2-0 Big Ten) have had a rigorous and demanding nonconference schedule, especially in comparison with other Big Ten teams.
NU has played the most matches so far among the 11 conference teams, in part because of its participation in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Indoor Championships – a tournament that invites exclusively the top teams in the nation. The only other Big Ten team to participate was host Wisconsin.
With the goal of a fourth conference title, the Cats hope to feast on relatively weaker Big Ten opponents this year.
They started their title defense by sweeping Michigan and Michigan State last weekend.
The trek continues March 9-10 as the Cats travel to Indiana to take on Indiana and Purdue.
Big Ten Trauma: While Big Ten teams aren’t as highly touted as were some of NU’s nonconference opponents, the Cats still have their work cut out for them.
All 11 teams in the conference are ranked with the lone exception of Minnesota.
The Cats hold the highest ranking at No. 13, followed by No. 28 Indiana, No. 34 Illinois, No. 41 Wisconsin and No. 48 Iowa.
Although Wisconsin has gained the early top spot in the Big Ten with a 3-0 record, it’s fairly meaningless since three of the teams have yet to play a conference match.
Yung Gun: This is Andrea Yung’s first year of college tennis, and she’s already playing No. 5 singles for NU.
The San Marino, Calif., native is 6-6 so far in singles play and has also contributed at No. 3 doubles.
“It’s always difficult being a freshman,” Pollard said. “But I think she’s making the transition well, and she has another freshman (Kristi Roemer) on the team to make it a little easier.”
Freshmen in the starting lineup aren’t a novelty for the Cats.
No. 4 singles player Jessica Rush played No. 6 singles as a freshman last year and had a solid season, compiling a 31-7 record.
Rank and file: When it comes to individual national rankings, NU boasts a couple of impressive numbers.
Junior Marine Piriou, 7-5 in singles play, is No. 20, while the sophomore Rush (10-2) is No. 74 after starting the season at No. 95.
Piriou and Rush form one of the country’s top doubles tandems at No. 31.
But Pollard shrugs off the rankings.
“Rankings are more for people outside of the team,” she said. “Wins and championships take care of themselves.”
