The Wisconsin women’s tennis team came to Evanston on Saturday looking to knock Northwestern off the top of the Big Ten. But it left knowing that the Wildcats aren’t quite ready to give up their stranglehold on the conference.
In a battle of the Big Ten’s top two teams, No. 18 NU eked out a 4-3 victory over the Badgers. The win was the first of two on the weekend for the Cats, as they topped Minnesota 6-1 on Sunday for their 23rd straight victory over a league opponent.
The Cats jumped to an early 3-0 lead against No. 37 Wisconsin, taking two of three to clinch the doubles point. Wins by Simona Petrutiu in the No. 4 singles spot and Andrea Yung at No. 6 also helped spark the quick start. But the Badgers battled back with wins at No. 2 and No. 3, cutting the deficit to 3-2 with two matches left.
But NU’s Marine Piriou, ranked No. 25 in the country, fought back from a first-set loss to beat Wisconsin’s Vanessa Rauh 3-6, 6-1, 6-0, clinching the victory for the Cats.
“I was really pleased under the circumstances,” NU coach Claire Pollard said. “At one point we had lost a set on five courts. It was scary, but we kept our composure and showed a lot of resiliency to stay calm and turn the match around.”
Petrutiu said she was pleased with the victory over the much-improved Badgers.
“They’re a lot better than they were last year,” she said. “They’re strong throughout their lineup, which is always good for a team. But we knew how to answer back and we did.”
The win, which dropped Wisconsin to 13-6 (6-2 Big Ten, which on Sunday became 13-7, 6-3 Big Ten), cemented the Cats’ hold on first place in the conference heading into the Big Ten tournament, held April 25-28.
“We showed we still dominate the Big Ten, and we sent a pretty good message yesterday, ” Jackson said.
Although lacking the suspense of the win over the Badgers, NU’s win over the last-place Golden Gophers also carried plenty of emotion.
The win was the last regular-season home match for seniors Jackson and Petrutiu. Pollard honored the classmates in a short presentation after the Cats claimed the doubles point.
Jackson and Petrutiu, who are also doubles partners, made the most of their last home appearance in their singles matches. Petrutiu was the first off the court, winning 6-0, 6-1. Jackson followed with a 6-0, 6-3 victory.
Pollard was effusive in her praise for both graduating seniors.
“You can’t even put it into words,” Pollard said. “Simona has brought a wealth of experience even though she’s only been here two years (after transferring from Southern Illinois). And Lia’s attitude and level of competitiveness has taken the program to another level.”
Both Petrutiu and Jackson said that while they concentrated on the match, it was hard to contain their emotions.
“It’s exciting whenever we play here,” Petrutiu said. “But today was definitely special.”
Jackson, who holds the school record for most singles wins in a season with 38, looked back happily on her career at NU.
“I just can’t believe it’s been four years,” she said. “It’s been a great experience and I wouldn’t ask anything more or change anything about it.”
