Fifth-ranked Northwestern will face No. 26 William & Mary Friday. The Tribe has become a mainstay in NU’s schedule.

The Wildcats and the Tribe have bridged the 800-plus-mile gap between Evanston and Williamsburg, Va., the last three years after never having played each other. The Cats (5-1) are 1-2 against the perennial Colonial Athletic Association power.

The Tribe (3-0) has won the CAA title 17 of the last 19 years and qualified for the NCAAs nine of the last 10 years. It made it to the second round of the tournament last year.

Northwestern’s top-ranked duo of Cristelle Grier and Audra Cohen, a loser of two of its last three, takes on a the nation’s 10th-ranked doubles team, Megan Muth and Amy Wei. William & Mary also sports the 22nd-ranked pair of Candice Fuchs and redshirt Megan Moulton-Levy. Moulton-Levy is No. 33 in singles, Muth is No. 36 and senior Lena Sherbakov is No. 110.

The Tribe has nearly swept through its first three matches, beating East Tennessee State 7-0, Richmond 6-1 and West Virginia 7-0.

Five Cats have played against Tribe members. Grier, No. 4 in the nation, is 2-0 in singles and 1-1 in doubles. Andrea Yung is NU’s most experienced William & Mary opponent, going 1-2 in singles and 2-0 in doubles.

The Cats are trying to overcome a shaky showing last weekend. They went 2-1 in the USTA/ITA National Indoor Team Championship, falling to then-No. 13 Georgia then beating New Mexico and Tulane in consolation matches. No. 10 Georgia sophomore Shadisha Robinson upset No. 1 Audra Cohen. Grier also suffered her first loss of the season, to No. 39 Georgia sophomore Natalie Frazier.

Reach Patrick Dorsey at [email protected].