After a disappointing loss to Florida in the NCAA women’s tennis team championships, Northwestern’s Marine Piriou will try to rebound with a strong showing in the singles competition.
Piriou, ranked No. 33 in the country, will meet No. 67 Alesya Ignatieva of Mississippi in a first-round match today. The showdown was originally scheduled for Monday but had to be pushed back because of inclement weather in Stanford, Calif.
NU coach Claire Pollard said Piriou’s workout routines haven’t changed in preparation for the individual competition.
“We’re just focusing on the same things we’ve been working on all year,” Pollard said. “I think she’ll be OK. She’s a very focused girl and she’s able to keep herself away from the distractions around her.”
Ignatieva posted a 20-9 record in singles this year, playing almost exclusively at the No. 2 spot for the Lady Rebels. The senior from Belarus went 7-6 in matches against ranked opponents.
Piriou and Ignatieva faced only one common opponent, Purdue’s Amy Walgenbach. Ignatieva lost a three-set decision to Walgenbach, whom Piriou beat in straight sets in October.
Piriou opened the season ranked ninth in the country. She has posted a 29-15 record at the No. 1 spot for the Wildcats. This year’s tournament is the first NCAA berth for Piriou, but the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year has a wealth of experience in fall tournaments.
Piriou defeated teammate Lia Jackson in the Omni region IV title match in October, securing a berth in the ITA Omni national indoor championships. Although she was unseeded, Piriou advanced to the semifinals before losing to Stanford’s Lauren Kalvaria.
Pollard and Piriou agreed her success in the fall will help her at NCAAs.
“I think it definitely helps her chances that she’s more familiar with the atmosphere,” Pollard said.
NU sent two players to the 2001 singles championships, Jackson and graduated senior Colleen Cheng. Jackson lost in the first round, while Cheng fell in the second round to Southern California’s Jewel Peterson.
Advancing past the second round will be a difficult task for Piriou, who would likely face Florida’s Jessica Lehnhoff – the No. 1 player in the country – if both players win their opening-round matches. Lehnhoff beat Piriou in straight sets in the Gators’ 4-1 victory over the Cats on Thursday.
Piriou had trouble with her forehand during a two-match slump in the Big Ten championships, but she said she’ll have all the kinks worked out for NCAAs.
“My strength is definitely my forehand right now, but I’m playing well with my slice backhand, too,” Piriou said. “I need to use my serve to set points up, so hopefully I’ll be able to do that and have some success.”
