Walking to classes with her teammates during her freshman year, No. 1 Northwestern’s Lauren Lui constantly found herself lagging behind the rest of the pack.
Her slow pace off the court earned the NU junior the nickname “Speeds,” which she now even wears on her uniform.
But the nickname also translates more seriously to Lui’s attacking style of play on the court, where she is anything but a stride slow as she charges to the net.
“That’s the ironic thing about Speeds,” coach Claire Pollard said. “As quiet, cautious, low profile, kind of timid as she is off the court, on the court, she’s very aggressive. She’s a big risk taker, and she just goes for it.”
Last season, Lui rode her gambling style to a 23-1 record, including a perfect 22-0 in the fourth singles spot, and the nation’s No. 46 ranking.
She has struggled to maintain that perfection this season, but has still been important to the Wildcats’ success.
Currently No. 119 in the nation, Lui has compiled a 16-5 record playing mostly in the fourth singles spot. After qualifying for the NCAA singles tournament last season, it appears unlikely she will earn a slot in this year’s individual tournament.
Lui is concentrating on getting herself ready for the NCAA team tournament in May, where the Cats have a chance for a national championship.
“I’ve had some little struggles here and there,” Lui said. “Obviously, this year isn’t quite as good of a run as last year. But I think I’m working through it, and I’m just looking to build on it and play my best at NCAAs.”
Lui also pairs with senior Georgia Rose to form the Cats’ first doubles team. The duo, currently No. 14 in the nation, has struggled at times this season. Lui and Rose had lost four out of five matches before winning a pair of matches against Minnesota and Iowa last weekend.
The tandem qualified for the NCAA doubles championships last season, and they look to be a solid bet for one of the tournament’s 32 teams again this year.
Rose said she believes she and Lui can improve on last season’s first-round loss because of Lui’s ability to keep points alive.
“Lauren’s volleys are definitely unbelievable,” Rose said. “She has hands like no other, and she definitely uses that to her advantage.”
The Cats will be wrapping up their regular season with two matches this weekend.
NU will be looking to clinch its 11th consecutive Big Ten title when it hosts Ohio State and Penn State. The Cats most likely will need to win both matches to win the outright conference championship.
Lui, who has lost only one Big Ten match in her career, picked up wins against both the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions last season, and the Cats will be hoping for more of the same this weekend.
Despite falling short of perfection this year, the Cats know they can rely on Speeds.
“She’s certainly one of the important reasons why we are where we are,” Pollard said. “She always puts the team ahead of herself. Everyone knows they can count on her on game day to give her everything.”
