Northwestern University Athletics
The 2001 Women's Tennis Outlook
2/6/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Feb. 6, 2001
EVANSTON, Ill. - With back-to-back Big Ten titles, a trip to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen and a spot among the nation's elite, conventional wisdom would say that the Northwestern women's tennis team would boast lofty goals for 2001.
Amazingly, that is not the case. Not even close.
"We would love to three-peat, but that is not the focus of our team or our season," explained head coach Claire Pollard. "I want each player on this team to have a great experience and for each player to get better. When we finish a match, I want us to know that we have outworked and outplayed our opponent."
Keeping that in mind, Northwestern will look to build on its team success of the past two years without putting too much pressure on the respective individuals.
The pressure is already on. The Wildcats will enter this season as the `hunted,' and everyone -- especially the other Big Ten schools -- will make its match against Northwestern the `match of the season.' But Pollard believes the Wildcats are prepared to deal with that pressure.
"The returning players will have to stay hungry for success, and the new players cannot become too anxious for the success," said Pollard. "We have to all realize that the whole is greater than any one person."
With five returning players, including four starters, Northwestern looks to be among the nation's best again this season.
The Wildcats return three-time All-Big Ten player Shannon Duffy, two-time NCAA qualifier Colleen Cheng, and two talented, tenacious players in Lia Jackson and Marine Piriou. Last season the quartet combined for a 128-38 record, playing at Nos. 2-5. In addition to the returnees, Pollard welcomes three freshmen, a junior transfer and two walk-ons.
Pollard believes that the key to success this year will be two-fold: depth and assimilation.
"This is the deepest team since I've been here," said Pollard, now in her third season. "We have a lot of depth in both singles and doubles and that will be our biggest key to success this season."
With senior leadership from Duffy and Cheng, the newest Wildcats will find it easy to adjust to Northwestern's level of competition. During the fall season, freshman Jessica Rush won the Eck Classic and qualified for the ITA Regional Championship Main Draw. Southern Illinois transfer Simona Petrutiu also qualified for the ITA Regional Championships.
With depth comes a lot of competition, and Pollard will have a tough time filling out her lineup. Cheng played at the No. 3 spot last season and is expected to play at No. 1 singles, but nothing is concrete.
"Colleen is playing the best tennis of her career and had a great fall. She also gained valuable experience playing at No. 1, but things could easily change," stated Pollard.
Another contender for the top spot is Duffy, who went unbeaten in Big Ten play last year at No. 2. Duffy has recovered nicely from knee surgery and is playing some of the best tennis of her career. And don't count out Jackson, a junior, and sophomore Piriou. Both enter the season with a lot of confidence after dominating at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively, last season.
Jackson is playing some of the best tennis she's ever played and Piriou, Pollard believes, is an underestimated player.
"The volume Marine gives to our program cannot be quantified. She is the team's unsung hero and I expect her to also challenge for a top spot this season."
Rounding out the group of returning players is senior Jessica Strickland. Last season she established herself as a competitive player on a Top 20 team.
"Jessica worked hard all last year and over the summer, and the dividends are beginning to pay off," said Pollard. "I expect her to be a see action at the No. 5 or 6 spot."
As for the newcomers, Pollard sees them as immediate contributions to the success of the program.
Rush will challenge for a starting position, and Pollard sees her as being a vital part of doubles play. Rush will be called upon to fill the shoes of graduated Katherine Nasser, who with Cheng earned national rankings and invitations to the NCAA Doubles Championships.
"Jessica will play a critical role in our season on the doubles side," said Pollard. "We have a great combination with her and Colleen at the No. 1 spot."
With two years of collegiate experience already under her belt, Petrutiu has had no problems adjusting to Northwestern. She will challenge for a spot among the starting six.
"Simona had a very good fall and has adjusted to the higher level of play with ease," Pollard said.
Ruth Barnes an Stacy Kokx round out the newcomers.
"Ruth and Stacy are putting in a lot of hard work and are improving every day," said Pollard. "With the subtle changes I have made to their game, the dividends are going to pay off sooner than later."
The Wildcats will again face an arduous schedule, taking on some of the toughest teams in the nation throughout the dual season. They are also invited to play in the ITA Team Indoor Championships in February where they will compete with the other top 15 teams in the country.
Can the success of the Wildcats be three-peated? Coach Pollard hopes they can.
"I think last year we made ourselves known to the nation," said Pollard. "This year, we are hoping to continue that momentum."
