As the first ball toss of the dual season took place in Combe Tennis Center Saturday, Northwestern’s three freshmen assumed their positions.
Freshman Erica Jessel prepared to serve on her court. A court to her right, freshman Mika Dagan Fruchtman stood within the service line prepared to return, and one court over, freshman Maia Loureiro crouched in front of the net as her partner prepared to serve.
Coach Claire Pollard said she informed her players of their roles in the lineup just minutes before her squad took the court to take on Butler.
In the ensuing minutes, the team’s three freshmen immediately made their presence felt.
On the first point of the season, Jessel hit a backhand down-the-line passing shot.
On her first shot of the campaign, Dagan Fruchtman ripped a cross-court backhand winner off her opponent’s serve.
On her second point of the year, Loureiro hit a drop volley to put her and sophomore Neena Feldman up 30-0 in the opening game.
“The future is tomorrow, right?” Pollard said. “I think I alluded to that in the fall — how important I thought the incoming class was and what they bring to the program.”
The future led the Wildcats (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten) to a 7-0 domination of the Bulldogs (0-1, 0-0 Big East), where NU did not drop a single set en route to victory.
The ’Cats were successful in winning the doubles point last season, and the trend easily carried over to this campaign — even with newcomers in the frame.
Jessel, teaming up with senior Sydney Pratt at the No. 2 doubles position, and Loureiro, who played with Feldman at the No. 3 doubles spot, both registered 6-0 doubles victories in their dual season debuts to grant NU the doubles point.
Jessel concluded the first service game of her career with a hold. She then solidified a break advantage for herself and Pratt with a smash to go up 2-0. Dominance persisted for the Friendswood, Texas, native, as she and Pratt lost just seven points in the entire match.
Two courts over, Loureiro hit volley after volley throughout the match. In her first service game of the season, she held, and at 4-0 — already up a double break — a backhand volley put her and Feldman up 5-0. Their 6-0 victory secured the doubles point for the ’Cats.
Dagan Fruchtman paired up with graduate student Britany Lau at the No. 1 doubles slot after a successful fall season that led the duo to be ranked No. 42 in the ITA rankings. The two had their match unfinished at 3-2 after NU won the doubles point.
Pollard’s lineup was a long-kept secret, but those on the team didn’t seem to mind that it was a secret even to them.
“You shouldn’t care where you play,” Dagan Fruchtman said. “You kind of just got to go play and win. (It) doesn’t matter which place.”
As singles play commenced, Dagan Fruchtman and Jessel stayed put on their respective courts — Dagan Fruchtman at the No. 1 and Jessel at the No. 2. While Loureiro was omitted from the singles lineup, she went to the upper-deck of Combe Tennis Center where spectators sit. She assumed a position between Dagan Fruchtman and Jessel’s courts to cheer on her fellow freshmen.
For Jessel, playing at the No. 2 singles spot was not something she imagined.
“I was a little shocked just because I feel like I haven’t been the best at practice, but that didn’t stop me from wanting to play my best,” Jessel said.
Jessel’s match sailed smoother than Dagan Fruchtman’s. She quickly amassed a 4-1 lead in the first set. Minutes later on set point, she hit a drop shot that forced her opponent to come to the net. Her shot was returned, but it was a prime opportunity for Jessel to hit a smash to win the set 6-1.
The second set wasn’t quite as straightforward, but Jessel continued to hold serve. At 3-3, she broke her opponent’s serve, and she never looked back. On match point, a cross-court forehand set up an easy putaway volley for Jessel, who won the second set 6-4. Jessel held serve the entire match.
“She’s got a huge serve,” Pollard said. “She’s got a big game and a big presence when she commits to that and commits to being good to herself.”
For Dagan Fruchtman, who is just recovering from a sprained ligament in her left foot, her match came down to critical breaks in both the first and second sets. In both sets, the result was decided at the crucial 3-3 juncture.
From there, she held serve when she needed to, and a backhand down the line on match point secured a 6-3, 6-3 win.
“I was very close (to breaking) every single of her game’s serve,” Dagan Fruchtman said. “I was very close — 40-all or 40-30 — so I felt like I’m almost there. I just needed a little bit more push, a little bit more strong mentality. And when I needed it, especially at 3-3, when it’s an important game, I got it.”
Pollard’s young roster dominated Saturday. Jessel lost five games on the day, whereas Dagan Fruchtman lost eight. Loureiro, only playing doubles, lost zero.
With freshmen occupying slots in all three doubles lineups as well as the No. 1 and No. 2 singles positions, the future, evidently, could be now for the ’Cats.
“I feel like this program got a great class of freshmen, which will push the program high,” Dagan Fruchtman said.
Email: charliespungin2027@u.northwestern.edu
Related Stories:
— Women’s Tennis: Northwestern prepares for dual season with Quad Invite
— Women’s Tennis: Pollard faces lineup dilemmas as dual season draws near
