Heading into this weekend’s matches against No. 39 Illinois and No. 14 Georgia Tech, coach Claire Pollard was worried about finding the right dynamic with her doubles pairings.
After she completely revamped the lineup, the No. 2 Wildcats struck a winning balance against both teams, posting four out of six doubles wins on the weekend.
“Our problem this year has just been that we have so many options in doubles,” Pollard said. “There’s not a weak player in the bunch. But I was very pleased with the way they played against Georgia Tech in particular.”
NU opened the weekend Friday with a decisive 5-2 win against Illinois in its first Big Ten match of the season and followed with a 6-1 home win against Georgia Tech on Sunday. Pollard tinkered with the doubles teams in both matches, pairing junior Maria Mosolova and freshman Linda Abu Mushrefova together for the first time all season.
The duo edged out the Fighting Illini with a 9-8 win-the same score teammates senior Samantha Murray and freshman Kate Turvy posted in their victory. The doubles teams were shuffled once more against Georgia Tech. Two of Friday’s pairs changed, but the results were the same: both the No. 2 and No. 3 teams notched wins for NU.
Mosolova and Abu Mushrefova, the only team that remained intact for both matches, were one of the success stories of the weekend. After a tight win against Illinois, the pair cruised to an 8-3 win against Georgia Tech. Pollard said she chose the pairing because Abu Mushrefova’s high-spirited play is reinvigorating for Mosolova.
“Linda brings a lot of energy on the court which is something that I have been missing in my game” Mosolova said. “She really helps to improve my doubles play.”
Mosolova finished the weekend 1-1 in singles, with a three-set win at Illinois and a narrow 6-4, 6-4 loss to Georgia Tech’s Irina Falconi, who is the No. 1 singles player in the nation.Mosolova faced a less well-known opponent in Illinois’ unranked Megan Fudge, who still pushed her to three sets. There were familiar faces on the opposite side of the court, as Illinois’ coaching staff featured 2009 graduates Keri Robinson and Georgia Rose.
Pollard said the former players have unique insight into the Cats’ style of play, which helped the Illini select mismatches in play styles.
“It was a tough match because (Fudge’s) way of playing is not mine at all,” Mosolova said. “She does a lot of cutting which is tough for me because it is not how I prefer to play.”
Murray also faced a tough singles matchup against Illinois at the No. 2 spot. The senior took three sets to secure one of the Cats’ four singles wins on the evening. Murray had a smoother victory against Georgia Tech where she posted a 6-4, 6-0 win.
“Getting a win against a really good team like Georgia Tech that we play every year is good because it gives us a bit of confidence,” Murray said. “We’re heading into mostly Big Tens now and that’s the way we’re going to need to play.”[email protected]
