Northwestern has only one more match left in the dual season, but its unparalleled success has made this season anything but regular.
And the newest member of the Wildcats, third-ranked Maria Mosolova, has been crucial in bringing the program to new heights.
The Cats (22-1, 9-0 Big Ten), ranked first in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll for seven consecutive weeks, are one win away from achieving a fourth consecutive 10-0 conference record. They have the chance to win their 60th straight Big Ten match when they host Michigan State (12-10, 3-5 Big Ten) at the Combe Tennis Center at 2 p.m. Saturday.
A native of Moscow, the freshman is currently on an eight-match winning streak and is 17-2 in dual singles play. She boasts a 13-2 record at the No. 1 singles spot and is 4-0 at the No. 2 spot this season. She was also ranked first in singles play at the start of the dual season, and is a two-time Big Ten Women’s Tennis Athlete of the Week this season.
For Mosolova, tennis started out as just a fun hobby her dad had her pick up so she didn’t “waste (her) time sitting in front of the television all day long.” But when the club at which she played started forming a group of serious tennis players, the coach told her that she was not good enough to be a part of the group.
“I was so upset that the coach at the first club said that I was not talented enough,” Mosolova said. “Since that time, I kind of had motivation to work hard and prove that I can be better than the kids who got into that group.”
Her hard work and motivation clearly paid off. She won both the Russian under-16 and under-18 titles, and played on the Russian Fed Cup under-14 and under-16 team. She was also ranked No. 14 in Europe under-14 and No. 41 in the ITF World Junior rankings. Mosolova said her biggest accomplishment was having dinner with the first Russian president, Boris Yeltsin, after becoming one of the top three under-18 players in Russia.
When deciding where to attend college, Mosolova decided to leave her hometown in Russia and play in America. She turned down offers from Duke and Washington to play for NU.
“I couldn’t be happier (with my decision),” Mosolova said. “I thought it would have been much harder for me to fit in, because I’m from Russia and moving to another country is never easy. But already after my recruit trip, I knew that I was going to love it here. I love our team and we are all working hard to achieve the same goal and having fun while doing it.”
NU coach Claire Pollard said Mosolova has exceeded all her expectations and has truly embraced playing for a team.
“She’s a witty person and has a great Russian demeanor about her,” Pollard said. “Not only is she a fabulous player, but she has just adjusted incredibly well, especially in terms of her ability to get along with the team.”
Her teammates speak highly of her as well. Junior Georgia Rose noted that being the only freshman isn’t easy, but Mosolova couldn’t have handled it any better.
“She fits really well with the team and she’s a lot of fun,” Rose said. “She’s clearly proven herself to be one of the top players in the nation and she’s a big part of the reason why we’re number one in the nation right now…she represents Northwestern tennis in a great way.”
Her family, still residing in Russia, is extremely supportive of her playing. Even though her 10-year-old sister hates tennis, she and the rest of the family are still big Cats fans and follow all the matches using live scores online.
But her family is not the only group that supports her. Mosolova said she thinks the best part about college tennis is that there is an entire team that supports each other.
“I think my favorite part is being with the team,” Mosolova said. “We are all good friends and I love playing not just for myself, but for the whole team…like Claire says all the time, these 10 people that are on the team are the only people who really care about the results and are ready to help you out any time.”
When Mosolova gets frustrated on the court, she said she just remembers that she is playing for the team, and that is enough to keep her focused.
For Mosolova, this weekend against the Spartans is just another opportunity to play for her team as they continue their quest to become national champions.
