No. 58 Northwestern ended its season with a first-round loss to No. 43 Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament. It was the Wildcats’ (14-12, 6-7) second loss to the Terrapins (18-7, 8-5 Big Ten) in two weeks.
The 10th-seeded ’Cats were hoping to rebound after their narrow 4-3 loss last weekend, but they faced an early uphill battle, despite taking the doubles point.
The No. 38-ranked duo of freshman Margot Phanthala and sophomore Erica Jessel beat No. 61 Diya Challa and Emma Ghirardato 6-4. Sophomore Mika Dagan Fruchtman and junior Autumn Rabjohns defeated Oliwia Orlinska and Aida Eissa, also with a score of 6-4.
No. 7-seeded Maryland rebounded in singles play, taking an early 3-1 lead. Ghirardato beat No. 88 Phanthala in two sets at No. 1 singles. At No. 2 singles, junior Neena Feldman lost to No. 111 Orlinska 5-7, 2-6. Jessel lost 4-6, 4-6 to Challa at No. 4 singles.
At No. 5 singles, Dagan Fruchtman beat Tamari Gagoshidze 6-4, 6-4, giving the ’Cats a chance for a comeback, as they stood at 3-2. Unfortunately, freshman Marelie Raath lost to Lucia Donnelly in the third set at No. 6 singles.
Rabjohns’s No. 3 singles match was left unfinished at 6-2, 6-7(5), 3-3.
NU finished the season 14-12, going 6-7 in conference play. The ’Cats are retaining all of their players next season, including Phanthala, who was unanimously elected to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
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