When top-ranked Northwestern was upset in the quarterfinals of last year’s NCAA tournament, the most successful season in school history came to a close. The Wildcats broke every team record, won their 10th straight Big Ten title and grabbed a No. 1 ranking in the polls for the first time in school history.

This year’s squad could be even better.

After claiming the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Indoor Team Championship on Feb. 16, the Cats will be looking to fill the final hole in their trophy case by bringing home an NCAA title in May.

NU has fallen short in the postseason in each of the last five years, leading to the same burning question in the preseason: Is this year’s team going to win that elusive NCAA championship?

“Yes, we are,” coach Claire Pollard said. “Yes, we are.”

Pollard has reason to believe. The team returns its top five players and is once again ranked No. 1 in the nation. Ten of the last 21 indoor team champions have gone on to win the NCAA championship.

If that’s not enough, NU also has the nation’s top-ranked individual player, sophomore Maria Mosolova.

“We’re better than we’ve been in the past,” said Pollard, the 2008 ITA Coach of the Year. “We’ve got more experience this year.”

Added experience has already helped Mosolova, the Big Ten Player of the Year as a freshman, raise her game to an even higher level.

After finishing last season ranked seventh in the nation, Mosolova got off to a strong start with a 13-2 record during the fall. With her early season success, she expected to be ranked highly heading into the spring. But being ranked No. 1 came as a surprise.

“Of course it’s nice to be ranked No. 1 in the nation, but it obviously puts some pressure on you,” said Mosolova, who defeated defending NCAA champion Amanda McDowell of Georgia Tech in October. “At the same time, it gives you confidence, so you have to find this balance between those two. But it definitely feels good.”

Even though the team fell short of expectations last season, being the nation’s top-ranked team taught the squad how to deal with the added pressure. Now, the team is ready to prove itself in every match.

“It’s put us in a position where the team that plays us is going to come out and swing away and play their best because they’ve got nothing to lose,” said senior Georgia Rose, who finished last season ranked 14th in the nation individually. “But we like the added pressure that it puts on us.”

As the team thrives under pressure, it tries to put the pressure back on its opponents with depth.

The Cats return four players who finished last season ranked in the top 46 in the nation. Juniors Samantha Murray and Lauren Lui joined Mosolova and Rose among the nation’s best.

“I think we present a unique challenge in that we don’t give away an easy spot,” Pollard said. “In the past, I think we’ve been vulnerable at certain positions and certain occasions, but right now I don’t think we’re vulnerable anywhere.”

Despite NU’s depth and competitive nature, the team tries to keep things friendly during practice. The Cats concentrate on beating their opponents, not each other.

“We have a good team chemistry,” said Murray, currently ranked 24th in the nation. “We all work together and want each other to improve. We usually do a good job of not being too competitive with each other.”

But the team should be ready for more intense practices heading into this year’s postseason run. Learning from last season’s shortcomings, Pollard believes the tougher practice schedule will better prepare the team to peak for the NCAA tournament in May.

“Come April, we’re going back to preseason mode,” Pollard said. “It’s not going to be very much fun around here.”

The team doesn’t mind giving the extra effort, though