After splitting a pair of matches at ITA Kickoff Weekend in Raleigh, N.C. last weekend, Northwestern is preparing for a road battle against Georgia Tech on Sunday. 

The Wildcats (1-2, 0-0 Big Ten) fell to Wake Forest last Saturday, before edging out Penn State the following day. This is NU’s third consecutive road trip to start the season before hosting a trio of matches in the following weeks. 

The Yellow Jackets lost two successive 4-3 matches last weekend, the first to Old Dominion and the second to then-No. 14 Michigan. Georgia Tech has a trio of ranked singles players in No. 38 Kylie Bilchev, No. 69 Ava Hrastar and No. 85 Carol Lee. Bilchev and Hrastar also rank 12th in the country in doubles.

The Cats’ lone ranked singles player remains senior Clarissa Hand, who sits at No. 94. The pairing of juniors Christina Hand and Briana Crowley remain 58th in the doubles rankings, but have only played together once in three matches this season — a 6-1 loss to Vanderbilt in the opener. 

Five NU players have featured in all three matches in singles play: Clarissa Hand, sophomore Maria Shusharina, junior Justine Leong, first-year Sydney Pratt and graduate student Ema Lazic. Christina Hand, Crowley and senior Hannah McColgan have each played once, with McColgan most recently earning a key straight sets victory en route to the Cats’ win over Penn State. 

Despite some shifts in the six players on the singles card, NU’s doubles pairing has remained the same over the past two matches. The Cats secured their first doubles win of the young season against the Nittany Lions. 

Georgia Tech, regardless of its pair of losses, has won both doubles points this season. Bilchez and Hrastar were dominant against the Wolverines, blanking their opponent 6-0. If Pratt and McColgan remain first on the sheet for doubles, they will have a tough task on their hands.

Georgia Tech received votes in the latest ITA Top 25 team poll, so it will be a tough test for the Cats. Following the match against the Yellow Jackets, the NU will play host to Notre Dame for the first home match of the season in Combe Tennis Center. The Cats will have a pair of home matches on Feb. 20 against Harvard and Miami Ohio to close out play this month. 

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