Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
ITA Team Indoors
Wildcats Edged by No. 4 Georgia
2/7/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Feb. 7, 2004
Day 2 results
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MADISON, Wis.--Northwestern's eighth-ranked women's tennis team was one set away from advancing to the semifinal round of the USTA-ITA National Team Indoor Championship for the first time.
With the score tied 3-3, Jamie Peisel (Savannah, Ga./Savannah Country Day) fell in three sets (6-2, 2-6, 6-1) to Eugenia Subbotina as seventh-seeded NU was edged by No. 2 seed Georgia. The Wildcats (4-1) will face unseeded Texas A&M in the consolation bracket.
"That was probably one of the best matches I have seen during my time at Northwestern," said head coach Claire Pollard. "I thought we had them on the ropes, but we just could not get the win."
In a surprising start, top-ranked Cristelle Grier (Surrey England, Putney) and Jessica Rush (Dallas, Texas/The Hockaday School) were beaten by Agata Cioroch and Shadisha Robinson 8-6 in No. 1 doubles, which clinched the point for the Bulldogs (3-0). The NU duo had defeated them in November in the semifinal round of the ITA National Indoor Championships en routing to taking the title.
The 'Cats, however, managed to fight back to take a 3-2 lead, capped off by fourth-ranked Grier's 6-3, 6-4 triumph against top-ranked Cioroch at No. 1, which gave the former revenge for her loss at the semifinal round of the previously mentioned tournament.
Unfortunately for the Wildcats, that was the last match they would win, as Georgia took the last two to set up a meeting against third-seeded California.
"The loss is obviously disappointing, because our team worked so hard and then lost 4-3," said Pollard. "But give credit to Georgia, as they are an NCAA Tournament-calibre team."
NU takes on the Aggies (2-3) at 3 p.m. Saturday in both teams' final match at the event.
