If the Intercollegiate Tennis Association had a measurement to quantify strength of schedule, one would figure that Northwestern deserves to land somewhere near the top.
The Wildcats continue their travels through top-20 territory in Texas this weekend. NU begins its last road trip before conference play with a battle against No. 9 Texas in Austin before travelling just more than 100 miles to Waco for a matchup with No. 12 Baylor.
Since Feb. 3, NU has played exclusively top-20 opponents, with mixed results. Despite dropping four of their past six matches, the Cats are still currently ranked No. 8 in the ITA Rankings, with voters presumably taking into account their difficult schedule.
Sophomore Belinda Niu said she looks at the challenges as opportunities to improve, which could prove helpful later in the season.
“It’s been challenging but beneficial,” Niu said. “It’s made us tougher, and we’ve really seen the best teams out there.”
After five consecutive road matches, NU returned to the confines of Combe Tennis Center an Friday to take on No. 16 Georgia Tech. Although the Cats earned their first doubles point in seven dual meets, they collapsed during singles play, losing 5 of 6 matches, with sophomore Veronica Corning the only winner.
The team is still focused on further shoring up doubles play to set a positive tone for the match, Niu said. Personally, she said she hopes to increase her serve percentage and play with consistency.
The Cats also need to adjust to playing in the open air, with high temperatures in Austin forecasted to reach more than 80 degrees.
“We’re going to play our best, handling the outdoors,” Niu said. “Playing on the road against two teams is tougher mentally.”
Junior Linda Abu Mushrefova added should the Cats once again reach the NCAA Championship, having experience away from home will be useful.
“It’s obviously harder having the crowd against you,” Abu Mushrefova said. “Some environments are just tougher than others.”
The Cats’ 5-4 overall record hardly stands out, but with road wins over then-No. 8 North Carolina and then-No. 9 Virginia, they still boast an impressive resume. Niu said coach Claire Pollard’s NU teams typically focus on peaking near the end of the season.
“We’re content, but at the same time a common theme for us has been to improve as the season progresses,” she said. “We’re never completely satisfied and that’s something (Pollard) emphasizes.”
Abu Mushrefova said during the season, with little time to make significant physical improvements, the Cats adjust their mindsets.
“There’s been a strong emphasis on composure because it’s something we can control in the immediate future,” Abu Mushrefova said. “We’ve focused on playing within ourselves.”
Before opening Big Ten play with 38th-ranked Illinois, NU hopes to close out the bulk of its regular season non-conference slate on a positive note. Regardless of this weekend’s results, Niu and Abu Mushrefova agreed the rigorous schedule will likely pay dividends as NU heads toward the postseason.
