Northwestern University Athletics
Nittany Lions, Buckeyes Await 'Cats on Final Road Swing
4/23/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
April 23, 2010
No. 6 Northwestern (16-6, 7-1) at Penn State (4-16, 0-8 Big Ten)
Saturday, April 24
Sarni Tennis Center
University Park, Pa. • 10 a.m. CT •
No. 6 Northwestern (16-6, 7-1) at No. 32 Ohio State (17-7, 4-4 Big Ten)
Sunday, April 25
Stickney Tennis Center
Columbus, Ohio • Noon CT
EVANSTON, Ill. -- No. 6 Northwestern is aiming to run its winning streak to four with a pair of wins this weekend when it closes the regular season with road matches at Penn State and No. 32 Ohio State. Play gets underway for the Wildcats at 10 a.m. Saturday when they try to improve to 26-0 all-time against the Nittany Lions.
With Two Matches to Go...
A quick glance at the Big Ten Conference standings shows that the Wildcats are in a tie with Illinois for second place in the league with two matches remaining. Both squads are 7-1 in Big Ten play but Northwestern holds the edge in overall winning percentage (.727 to .650). Michigan, ranked No. 4 nationally, remains in sole possession of first place with an 8-0 record in the league and an 18-3 overall mark. Illinois and Michigan meet Saturday in Ann Arbor.
Conference Conquests
With two matches remaining in the Big Ten dual season, Northwestern has compiled a 39-9 record in singles and a 17-7 mark in doubles play. Lauren Lui (7-0) and Stacey Lee (8-0) each sport unbeaten singles records in the Big Ten this season, with Lui improving her career conference won-loss record to 36-1.
On the doubles side, Samantha Murray and Kate Turvy have combined to go 3-0 in conference play while Maria Mosolova and Linda Abu Mushrefova are 3-1 as a duo in the Big Ten.
Scouting the Nittany Lions
Penn State has struggled mightily this season on the dual front but has received a boost by the play of freshman Petra Januskova, who has posted a 6-5 mark at the No. 1 singles position for the Nittany Lions. Penn State will be honoring a pair of outgoing seniors during their final home matches this weekend in Sarah Lotto and Lauren McCarthy. Last season, it was Northwestern posting a 7-0 sweep of PSU on NU's Senior Day in Evanston as the Wildcats clinched their 11th consecutive Big Ten championship.
Scouting the Buckeyes
No. 32 Ohio State is coming off a crucial 4-3 defeat of Indiana last weekend that allowed the Buckeyes to enter the final weekend of the regular season with a .500 league record and poised to earn a higher seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament. Under the direction once again of head coach Chuck Merzbacher, Ohio State got off to a strong start this season, opening 9-0 with solid wins over Fresno State, Kentucky, William & Mary and Virginia. The Buckeyes are led in singles by 65th-ranked Kirsten Flower and receive strong contributions from junior Paloma Escobedo and sophomore Kelsey Haviland.
Looking Ahead
Next week, Northwestern will join the rest of the conference at the annual Big Ten Tournament hosted by Iowa April 29-May 2. NU has won the tournament each of the last 11 seasons and has defeated Michigan in the championship match five consecutive years. The Big Ten Network will once again be carrying the title match on tape delay from Iowa City. For complete visitor information, head to Iowa's official tournament Web site.
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