There’s no denying that the Northwestern women’s tennis team has the Big Ten eating out of its hand.
The Wildcats have won four straight league titles and haven’t dropped a conference match in more than two years – a string of 25 matches.
The NCAA regionals have also been smooth sailing for the Cats in the past two years. NU dominated last weekend’s tournament by cruising to 4-0 victories over Illinois-Chicago and Wisconsin.
But now it’s time for NU to look to the next level – beyond the Sweet 16. This feat has eluded the Cats the past two years, as Southern California and Stanford have dispatched them at nationals.
And things don’t get any easier this year as NU (23-5) will meet No. 1 Florida (22-1) Thursday in Palo Alto, Calif.
Florida consistently defeated the nation’s top teams this season. Among its triumphs are wins over No. 6 Vanderbilt and No. 4 Duke, two of the five teams that beat NU in the past few months.
Aside from NU’s showdown with Florida, one player has her own chance to steal the national spotlight.
Piriou, ranked No. 33 in the nation, will be competing in the individual competition at nationals.
“I’ll probably do the same thing as I’m doing now in terms of preparing,” Piriou said. “I’m going to play individually more with the coaches and that’s it. Maybe 45 minutes or an hour of extra practice every day.”
SIMPLY THE BEST: Not only is Florida the nation’s top team, but it also boasts the No. 1 singles player, Jessica Lehnoff.
But the high rankings aren’t forcing NU to make any special preparations for the Gators.
“It’s like we prepared for Wisconsin and like we prepared for (Illinois-Chicago) the previous day, ” said Piriou, No. 1 singles player. “We’re going to keep it simple, work on our routine and we’ll see what happens. All we know is that we’re very excited.”
Senior Lia Jackson also expressed indifference towards the Gators’ ranking and downplayed last year’s loss in the Sweet 16.
“We look at all teams the same no matter what number they are,” Jackson said. “We’re looking at this game as a chance to beat Florida, not make up for last year. “
MORE GATORS: The Big Ten is far from a weak conference.
With all but two teams nationally ranked, the league has provided the Cats with steady competition throughout the season.
But one glance at Florida’s schedule and NU’s slate looks relatively weak.
While the Cats occasionally get a breather by facing unranked opponents, the Gators slug it out with the best in nearly every match.
Florida has faced top-20 opponents in 11 of its last 15 matches while NU hasn’t faced one top-20 opponent during the same stretch.
“We may have a weaker schedule,” Jackson said, “but we win against all the Big Ten teams and we get better with every match. All wins are the same because they lead to improvement. I’m sure Florida approaches things in the same way.”
SUPER SENIORS: NU seniors Lia Jackson and Simona Petrutiu may be playing in their final collegiate games against Florida, but they don’t like to think of it that way.
“If this was going to be my last tennis match ever, it would be a little more sentimental,” Jackson said. “But if we lose, I only see this as the end of the ‘Northwestern’ chapter of my tennis career. I plan to keep on playing.”
For coach Claire Pollard, Jackson’s success at NU has been no coincidence.
“Lia’s won four Big Ten championships,” Pollard said. “A lot of kids go through their whole careers without winning one, but she expected four, worked for four and knew she was going to get four. It says a lot about her.”
Pollard was also impressed with her seniors’ consistent work ethic.
“It’s a healthy sign for our program that the two seniors are still excited to practice and play every day, ” Pollard said. “A lot of seniors are just ready for it to be over.”
The Daily’s Jim Martinho contributed to this report.
