Northwestern University Athletics
'Cats Look to Tame Huskies
2/25/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Feb. 25, 2004
EVANSTON, Ill.--With a disappointing weekend behind it, Northwestern's 10th-ranked women's tennis team (7-3) returns to the confines of Combe Tennis Center, where it is 4-0 and will play host to No. 4 Washington (7-1) at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Last weekend, the 'Cats lost 5-2 to both then-No. 10 Duke and then-No. 9 North Carolina to fall to 1-3 on the road. Three of the next four matches for NU, fortunately, are at home (the third is at a neutral site).
"It was good (to be on the road) to see how we handle different conditions," said head coach Claire Pollard. "It is just too bad we could not get those wins."
Looking to help Northwestern stay undefeated at home is Alexis Prousis (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest), who has shown a lot of success in the middle of the singles and doubles lineups this season. The freshman has thus far compiled a 16-6 overall singles record (9-1 dual) and an 11-4 (6-2) doubles record. Prousis also has won her last seven dual matches, including three wins over ranked opponents.
The Huskies are coming off a 5-2 victory against Oregon this past Saturday. Washington's highest-ranked player, then-No. 35 Claire Carter (now 25), upset the Ducks' eighth-ranked Daria Panova 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 (5). Carter and Dea Sumantri form the nation's 19th-ranked doubles team.
Earlier in the season, Washington put together its best run ever at the USTA-ITA National Team Indoor Championship, reaching the semifinals before falling to second-ranked and eventual winner Stanford.
"We look forward to the challenge of playing a great team like Washington," said Pollard. "I was very impressed by them at the Indoor Championship."
Washington will play Illinois Friday night prior to the dual against NU.
