Northwestern (6-6, 1-2 Big Ten) is doing something Saturday they haven’t done all year — playing an outside match.

After remaining north of the Mason-Dixon Line for the majority of the winter season and playing indoor matches, the Wildcats travel to New Orleans to take on Tulane (8-3) and the conspicuous absence of a roof.

Coach Paul Torricelli said the difference between playing inside and outside is “night and day.”

“It’s a totally different game outside,” he said. “It’s not just the surface; you have to deal with the elements.”

Torricelli said outdoor courts are conducive to longer, more intense points and matches.

“You can’t put balls away as easily outdoors as you can indoors,” he said.

On top of this adjustment, the Cats will have to deal with their weakness of late, which just so happens to be Tulane’s strongest suit: doubles.

The Green Wave has taken the doubles point in all but one match this year.

During last weekend’s winless trip to Michigan and Michigan State, the Cats managed only one doubles victory in six chances.

The Cats’ only win came from the team of Willy Lock and Justin Hoeveler. The duo has won three of their last four matches.

Lock is fairly new to the doubles game, playing only eight matches last year and not seeing his first action this year until Feb. 12.

“It only improves my singles game,” he said. “I practice my serves and volleys in doubles and transfer it to singles.”

Lock leads the Cats in singles this year, with a 9-3 record in dual competition.

Torricelli said the team spent a lot of time in practice this week working on doubles.

“Mental preparation going into doubles is going to be important,” he said. “Because we know it’s going to be tough.”

Tulane will be the fourth top-30 team the Cats have faced in a month and this will be their fourth road match in two weeks.

“The road matches take it out of you,” Torricelli said. “We played a very tough schedule down the road here.”

This weekend’s action is the middle match in a five-game road swing. The Cats travel to California on Mar. 23 and 25 to play No. 14 Pepperdine and San Diego.

Torricelli said he thinks the early exposure to outdoor play will be good preparation for the spring season.

“You’re playing outdoor teams on their home courts,” he said. “It’s going to help us when we get into April.”

Reach David Morrison at [email protected].