All season long coach Claire Pollard has kept the Wildcats guessing at doubles. With one weekend of regular season play left, Pollard says she has finally found the magic combinations.
But she’s not ready to reveal the lineup just yet.
“I’m keeping it a mystery for now,” Pollard said. “But I think I’ve got it right this time. In any case, this is it for the rest of the season. We’ll see what happens this weekend.”
No. 6 Northwestern will look to build on two Big Ten wins against No. 28 Iowa and No. 60 Minnesota last weekend when it travels to Penn State and Ohio State to finish out its conference season. The Wildcats (16-6, 7-1 Big Ten) have struggled at doubles, with Pollard changing the lineup regularly to try and combat a string of tough losses. Last year’s team featured an All-American duo in Georgia Rose and then-junior Lauren Lui. But with Rose graduated, Pollard has struggled to find an equally dynamic pairing this season. NU posted just one doubles win in its losses against No. 19 Texas and No. 2 Baylor two weeks ago. Pollard is hoping that the doubles teams will improve if they get a chance to play together consistently.
“I’m not totally sure I believe her,” said Samantha Murray on Pollard’s promise to solidify the lineup. “But it’s okay, I have learned that I can play with anybody, and that’s good for the team later down the line.”
Murray’s partnership with freshman Kate Turvy has been one of the most successful for the Cats. The two have posted only one loss together, though they don’t match up on paper. The 7-inch height difference between the two makes for an noticable pairing, with Murray towering over the diminutive Turvy.
“I love playing with Kate, and if I get to play with her again I will be very happy,” Murray said.
Amidst the ever-changing doubles lineup, Maria Mosolova has offered NU a steady performance at No. 1 singles. Mosolova defeated her highest ranked opponent of the season in a three-set win over Baylor’s No. 6 Lenka Broosova two weeks ago and is looking to carry that momentum into the NCAA’s in May.
While neither No. 32 Ohio State nor Penn State rival NU in the rankings, Mosolova said the team has learned not to take any wins for granted. The junior has taken the lesson to heart after dropping three of her six losses this season against lower ranked opponents, including one to Texas’ No. 28 Aeriel Ellis.
“We can use whatever wins we can get right now,” Mosolova said. “Everyone is confident after last weekend.”
Once the Cats finish up the conference season this weekend, they will head to Iowa for the Big Ten Championships. After an upset in February to then-No. 28 Michigan, NU will not be the frontrunner for the championship for the first time in 10 years.
“Heading into the tournament, it would be nice for us to feel a little confident,” Pollard said. “We made a goal last weekend to go 4-0 on the rest of the season, and I think if we do that we will be off to a good start.”
