The No. 9 Northwestern women’s tennis team is finished thinking about last weekend’s first Big Ten loss of the season to Illinois.
Instead the Wildcats (13-4, 3-1 Big Ten) are concentrating on the six Big Ten teams they have left to play, starting Saturday against Minnesota, then Sunday against No. 32 Iowa.
“We’re right on track,” Jamie Peisel said. “We just need to recommit, refocus, and find the fun and happiness every day in order to achieve our ultimate goals. We still have a lot to look forward to this season.”
NU has not lost to any team outside the top 25 this year, so unranked Minnesota (2-14, 0-5) should not be one of the Cats’ tougher challenges. The Gophers have struggled this season, opening with five loses in the Big Ten after finishing with a 9-1 record last year.
The 2003 Gophers also ended the Cats’ quest for a third straight Big Ten regular season title. NU finished second in the conference last spring with an 8-2 record before winning the Big Ten tournament.
The rematch of last season’s conference powers will take second billing to the Cats’ matchup with Iowa on Sunday. After finishing in the middle of the pack last year, the Hawkeyes (13-4, 4-1) have vaulted into a three-way tie for the Big Ten lead with Illinois and Michigan.
“Each year I hear the league has gotten tougher, and this is no exception,” No. 3 Christelle Grier said. “We’re right in the midst of our season and we have Big Tens coming up, which we’re hosting, so there’s a lot of excitement for the whole season.”
The Cats currently stand fourth in the Big Ten, a half game behind Michigan, Illinois, and Iowa, who are all tied with a 4-1 conference record.
They can’t afford many more losses if they expect to return to the top of the Big Ten.
“Claire [Pollard] told us not to expect any wins,” Peisel said. “We should believe we can win, but not take anything for granted. We’ve been trying to get up for every game like we’re playing a top five team.”
“We want to play well and redeem ourselves,” Jessica Rush said. “Big Tens and NCAAs are in the back of our minds, but we have to get through all our other matches first.”
The doubles team of Rush and Grier kept a No. 2 ranking even after their loss last week.
Grier remains at the top of her singles game too, as she won her 11th straight singles match handily against Illinois’s No. 34 Jennifer McGaffigan last weekend.
She will face a lower ranked opponent, No. 94 Meg Racette against the Hawkeyes.
“I think we’re looking at Big Tens a lot right now,” Grier said. “But we have to take care of the regular season Big Ten teams first.”
