By Jake SimpsonThe Daily Northwestern
A spring break getaway to Hawaii for some quality beach time and a midseason invitational lies on the horizon.
Before that, though, the Wildcats have to play some tennis.
This weekend, Northwestern hits the road, traveling to Cambridge, Mass., for two duals against ranked opponents William and Mary and Harvard.
The Cats (8-3, 3-0 Big Ten), who recently rose to No. 5 in the national rankings, spent the week fine-tuning their play after two wins last weekend.
“We’re just touching up the last few pieces,” said coach Claire Pollard.
After switching up the doubles teams for last weekend’s wins over Michigan and Penn State, the coach plans to stay with the new teams this weekend.
The revamped lineup has one new member: junior Alexis Conill. Paired with freshman Samantha Murray at No. 3 doubles, Conill brings experience and talent to the doubles point.
“She’s definitely someone who should be in the doubles lineup,” sophomore Georgia Rose said. “She played really well last weekend.”
If anyone has played well this season, it’s Rose, who brings a five-game winning streak against top-50 opponents into the weekend.
“I’m prepared for two tough matches this weekend,” she said.
Rose and the Cats get back on the court Saturday against No. 10 William and Mary. The Tribe knocked off then-No. 1 Georgia Tech in February and will provide a stiff test for NU.
“William and Mary’s an excellent team,” Pollard said. “I don’t think they’ve gotten the credit they deserve. I look for them to be a very tough opponent.
“The doubles point is going to be really important,” Rose added, “so we have to get off to a quick start.”
On Sunday, the Cats close up the first half of the season against No. 61 Harvard.
After this weekend, the Cats get two weeks off for reading and finals week. While NU’s players will be spending more time in the library than on the court in the coming break, Pollard was not worried about a loss of focus.
“We’re trying to win a national championship here, so keeping (the players) focused isn’t going to be too hard,” Pollard said.
Looking forward to the second half of the season, Rose said the team needs to play “just a little better.”
“We’ve had a few too many 4-3 losses,” she said. “We want to get those in our favor in the last half of the season.”
A grueling second half – including a rematch with No. 2 Notre Dame – and a postseason run at the national title await NU in the spring. This weekend, however, the Cats just want to end the first half of their season on a high note. When asked about her goals for the weekend, Pollard said simply, “Get two W’s.”
Reach Jake Simpson at [email protected].
