Following a 2001 season that culminated in a third straight Big Ten championship and a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA tournament, the Northwestern women’s tennis team entered this season with plenty of pressure.

But head coach Claire Pollard isn’t worried.

“I tell the kids that pressure is when you lose your job and you’ve got four kids,” Pollard said. “We take the approach that it’s a privilege to be a part of Northwestern tennis.”

Facing the Wildcats hasn’t been a privilege for opposing teams in recent years. No. 13 NU returns much of last year’s 24-5 squad, which hosted an NCAA regional for the first time. And the 2002 version has posted an 8-4 (2-0 Big Ten) record so far.

Pollard would like to mirror last season’s undefeated conference record – the Cats opened the Big Ten season two weeks ago with sweeps of Michigan and Michigan State – but she and the team have higher goals.

“Our season is very long, and we don’t define it just on what we do in the Big Ten,” Pollard said. “So far I’ve been pleased with the way we’ve been playing, but the key is being successful over the whole season, in being nationally ranked and highly selected for the NCAA tournament.”

NU returns four of six singles players from last year, but losses to graduation have forced Pollard to shuffle the lineup.

Senior Marine Piriou has taken over the No. 1 singles spot after playing mostly at No. 4 last season. Piriou had some early-season struggles but has adjusted well to the move, winning her last three matches.

“When you’re at No. 1, you’re more likely to a play a great player,” Piriou said. “Sometimes you’ll get ex-pro players who retired early in their careers (and then returned to college) but have a very good pro experience behind them.

Senior Lia Jackson returns to the No. 2 spot, where she compiled a 31-12 record in 2001. Sophomore Jessica Rush has made the jump from No. 6 to No. 3, with classmate Ruth Barnes taking over at No. 6.

“We have a lot of familiar faces, but they’re in a lot of different roles,” Pollard said. “I tell the team that we’re having teething problems. We’re just learning to deal with the growing pains that we have to go through.”

Senior Simona Petrutiu and freshman Andrea Yung will fill the No. 4 and No. 5 spots, where NU lost just four matches last season.

Pollard believes the Cats have solved the doubles problems that plagued them in 2001. NU’s pairings of Piriou-Rush, Jackson-Petrutiu and Barnes-Yung have won the doubles point in four of five matches against top-10 teams this season.

Although the Big Ten boasts nine teams that could knock off NU, according to Pollard, the Cats hope to hold on to their place atop the conference.

“The Big Ten is the best it’s been since I’ve been here,” Pollard said. “We respect that we’re a team everyone is gunning for. We just have to make sure we don’t overlook anyone.”