Northwestern University Athletics
NU Faces 2009-10 Schedule Replete with Tough Tests
8/5/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Aug. 5, 2009
2009-10 Men's Tennis Schedule
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Coming off an 18-win season and its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2005, Northwestern looks to continue its momentum into the 2009-10 season behind head coach Arvid Swan. The Wildcats face a tough road in both nonconference and conference play as they take on 13 teams that reached the 2009 NCAA Tournament, including four top-25 squads.
With only two upperclassmen and three sophomores on their roster, the 'Cats will rely on significant contributions from four incoming freshmen, all of whom are ranked in the top 50 nationally. The freshman class, ranked No. 8 in the nation by tennisrecruiting.net, is Swan's second consecutive top 15-ranked recruiting class.
"We have put together a very challenging schedule for the coming year. Every nonconference team we play has a chance to win its respective conference or make the NCAA tournament as an at-large team," Swan said. "The quality of our nonconference schedule will prepare us for conference play. The Big Ten continues to be one of the top tennis conferences in the country and we look forward to playing this nationally competitive schedule."
With 12 dual matches scheduled at Combe Tennis Center, the 'Cats are aiming to continue their success at home where they posted a 13-1 mark last season. However, NU faces stiff opposition during its Big Ten slate as it is set to host perennial Big Ten leaders Illinois and Ohio State.
The Wildcats kick off their fall schedule with the 34th annual Milwaukee Tennis Classic, Sept. 18-20 in Milwaukee, Wis., where they are joined by opponents from Ball State, Wisconsin and Marquette. Last season, NU's Alexander Thams won the event and Eric Spector finished in second place.
In October, the 'Cats begin by hosting the Wildcat Fall Invitational before participating in several regional and national championships. Following the All-American Championships and the ITA Midwest Regionals, NU finishes its fall slate with the Big Ten Singles Championship where then-freshman Tobias Reitz reached the consolation semifinal in 2008.
Northwestern embarks upon its dual match season with four straight matches at home as it looks to repeat its 8-0 opening streak from last season. On Friday, Jan. 22, the 'Cats will meet a difficult foe in Alabama, which finished 2009 as the No. 16 team in the nation. The tough weekend continues with William & Mary, which bested NU in a tight 4-3 dual last season.
At the end of January, the 'Cats will play on Kickoff Weekend in the ITA National Indoor Team Championship, facing perennial top-10 team Georgia before meeting either Miami (Fla.) or North Carolina.
Heading into February, NU continues a tough nonconference schedule, traveling to SEC rival Vanderbilt before hosting NCAA-tournament teams Western Michigan, Middle Tennessee State and Louisville. The Wildcats conclude February with a road dual at Princeton.
The Big Ten schedule begins on March 6, when Northwestern hosts in-state rival Illinois. The Illini finished the season as the 12th-ranked team in the nation but NU nearly staged a dramatic upset, barely dropping a 4-3 decision in Champaign last spring.
NU takes a trip to California to face UC Santa Barbara during the university's spring break before heading home to face Notre Dame on March 24. The 'Cats were points away from upsetting the then-25th-ranked Fighting Irish last year and will need fan support at their home courts in their effort this season.
April brings on the heart of the conference schedule, NU will face the toughest stretch of the season when it plays six away duals in its first seven matches. Other than a 5-2 victory over Michigan State, all the other decisions were by a 4-3 margin, with the 'Cats lone defeat coming at the hands of the Michigan Wolverines. NU posted thrilling 4-3 victories over Wisconsin, Purdue, Minnesota, and Iowa last season.
The 'Cats wrap up their regular season with a homestand, hosting Ohio State and Penn State. The Buckeyes were undefeated in conference last year and also finished the season ranked No. 2 in the Campbell's/ITA College Tennis polls.
The 2010 Big Ten Championship, hosted by Indiana, will take place in Bloomington, Ind. April 29-May 2. Northwestern finished tied for fourth in the conference last season and was the fifth seed at the 2009 tournament.
Should NU repeat their postseason berth, the first and second rounds of the NCAA Championships are set for May 14-16 at a to-be-determined site.
