In the midst of a brutal eight-game stretch against top-20 competition, Northwestern can at least take solace in returning home.
No. 9 NU hosts No. 16 Georgia Tech on Friday at Combe Tennis Center, NU’s first home match in nearly four weeks. After a weekend without competition, coach Claire Pollard said the Wildcats should be refreshed.
“Having the chance to recharge our batteries is a good thing,” she said. “After a week off, we lose a little bit of sharpness, but I think we had a great practice yesterday and a great practice today.”
Junior Linda Abu Mushrefova said she appreciated having the weekend off, considering the team’s demanding schedule.
“The season’s so busy and we won’t have many weekends off,” she said. “Just to get that one was really nice.”
Since Jan. 29 – their most recent home contest – the Cats have dropped 3 of 5 dual meets. Though they faced difficult opponents on the road, Pollard emphasized the benefits of home matchups.
“We get to sleep in our own beds and we get to eat at the restaurants we like,” Pollard said. “We’re very familiar here.”
The Cats started strong in both of their recent road legs. First they upended then-No. 8 North Carolina in a thriller. Then they upset then-No. 9 Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., to open the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Indoor Team Championship. NU failed to maintain the momentum later in the weekends, losing the other two matches.
Pollard said playing at home makes the team feel “stable,” which could help lead to the consistent results they desire.
“When you visit somewhere, you have to go around the men’s schedule, their facilities and their commitments,” she said. “This is a lot more controllable.”
Sophomore Nida Hamilton, who came up clutch in the Cats’ last home match, looked forward to fan support during Friday’s matchup.
“We definitely have an advantage playing at home: having the crowd and not having people yell at us,” she said. “It’s a fun atmosphere.”
NU’s most pressing concern still lies in doubles play. The Cats have lost 6 straight doubles points, a distressing statistic especially when considering they boasted the preseason No. 6 duo of Mushrefova and Hamilton.
Pollard said she hoped that by breaking up her most reliable combo, the team could earn an elusive doubles point. Still searching for a cure, Pollard will turn back to the Mushrefova-Hamilton unit. The two stressed the importance of controlling their match.
“We’re going to try to come out and take advantage of our opponent,” Hamilton said. “(We’ll) come to the net and be more aggressive.”
On Jan. 23, 2011, the then-No. 9 Cats travelled to then-No. 16 Georgia Tech and were trounced 5-2. Pollard said she hopes this year, on their home surface, the Cats can flip the script.
“It’ll be a tough battle. We’ve had great matches with Georgia Tech,” she said. “It’s been back and forth all the time. I think it’ll be a close contest and hopefully one we’ll prevail in.”
