Northwestern University Athletics
Pollard and Mosolova Repeat as Top Big Ten Honorees
4/23/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
April 23, 2009
MADISON, Wis. -- As the standard-setters this year both in the Big Ten and nationally, the top-ranked Wildcats were recognized accordingly at the Big Ten women's tennis banquet Thursday in Wisconsin. Head coach Claire Pollard took home her second straight and fifth-career Coach of the Year award while Maria Mosolova repeated as Player of the Year and was one of four 'Cats selected to the All-Big Ten team.
In her 11th season at the helm for Northwestern, Pollard led the team to its 11th consecutive conference championship and fifth straight undefeated league season, doing so in even more convincing fashion than usual. The Wildcats were a combined 58-2 against Big Ten competition in singles and 29-1 in doubles play.
Out of conference, Pollard took the program to new heights by guiding NU to a title at the ITA National Indoor Team Championship in February and keeping the 'Cats in the top spot of the Campbell/ITA College Tennis rankings in every poll of the season. Pollard is one of two coaches in league history to win the award in back-to-back seasons, a feat she has now accomplished twice.
After winning Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year concurrently last season, Mosolova posted a 30-6 record this year and currently holds the No. 1 singles ranking in the country. She went 14-4 in dual matches and 7-0 in the Big Ten and collected four wins against top-15-ranked opponents. Mosolova, who joins Cristelle Grier as NU's only two-time winner of the honor, keeps the award in Evanston for an eighth straight year.
Joining Mosolova as NU's representatives on the all-conference team are senior Georgia Rose and juniors Samantha Murray and Lauren Lui, marking the third time in program history that four Wildcats landed on the 12-person honor roll.
Rose posted a 6-0 mark in league play and picked up three of her wins in the No. 1 singles position, finishing her career with a 29-2 dual record in the Big Ten. The native of Mettawa, Ill., who is also part of the 21st-ranked doubles team with Lui, is the third Wildcat in program history to earn All-Big Ten recognition all four years at Northwestern.
Murray garners her third all-conference selection thanks to a 31-11 overall record and a 7-1 mark in the Big Ten as well as an ITA Midwest Regional singles championship under her belt. She also has teamed with freshman Elena Chernyakova to go 18-1 in dual doubles action this season.
In addition to earning her second all-league award, Lui was also selected as Northwestern's recipient of the Big Ten's Sportsmanship Award. This is the second honor of its kind this year for Lui, who in February became the first Big Ten representative to win the ITA National Sportsmanship Award. On the court, Lui posted a team-high 32 singles wins and was 9-1 in the Big Ten while remaining a steady performer at No. 1 doubles with Rose.
The top-ranked 'Cats begin play in the Big Ten Tournament at 10 a.m. Friday against eighth-ranked Minnesota. Fans can follow the action live on host Wisconsin's official tournament Web site.
