Northwestern is returning to the NCAA Division I Women’s Tennis Championships and will face Arizona State in first-round play at Pepperdine’s regional.
Last season marked coach Claire Pollard’s first year missing the NCAA tournament since taking over the squad in 1999. It was a disappointing low for a program that typically would be chalked into the tournament.
The Wildcats (19-7, 9-2 Big Ten) have returned to form this season and will play in May once again. The team hosted a selection show watch party in Combe Tennis Center Monday afternoon to celebrate its season-long success.
From 4:30 to 5:20, Pollard, assistant coach Georgia Munns, freshman Neena Feldman and senior Maria Shusharina joined fans in attendance on Courts 3 and 4 to rally.
Those in attendance then relocated to the team’s lounge in Combe Tennis Center to watch the selection show, where it was announced that NU would take on the Sun Devils. The players present, along with Athletic Director Derrick Gragg, were ecstatic to hear the team’s name called.
For @DailyNU_Sports:@NUWildcatTennis has punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament. They will play Arizona State in the first round at Pepperdine University. pic.twitter.com/4VT6kp6uH3
— Charlie Spungin (@CharlieSpungin) April 29, 2024
“We’re super excited to make it this far, but we know there’s a lot of tennis to play,” junior Kiley Rabjohns said. “We’re just going to use this week to see if we can still get better and just give it all in the last couple matches we have.”
This will be the fourth all-time matchup between the two programs. NU will look to even up the head-to-head record after dropping two of the past three matches against Arizona State. The most recent matchup came in the 2019-2020 season.
A win over the Sun Devils would advance the ’Cats to a match against the victor of the matchup between No. 6-seed Pepperdine and SIUE.
Pollard said she looks forward to the weekend with hopes to advance to the following weekend in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
“It’s a business trip,” Pollard said. “This is not vacation. We’re going on a business trip to win some tennis matches.”
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