Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats' Spring Schedule Begins with Sunday Doubleheader
1/13/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Jan. 13, 2011
No. 59 Northwestern (0-0) vs. Ball State (0-0)
Sunday, Jan. 16
Combe Indoor Tennis Center
Evanston, Ill. • 2 p.m.
Live Stats
No. 59 Northwestern (0-0) vs. Illinois-Chicago (0-0)
Sunday, Jan. 16
Combe Indoor Tennis Center
Evanston, Ill. • 7 p.m.
Live Stats
EVANSTON, Ill -- Northwestern is set to welcome Ball State and Illinois-Chicago to the Combe Tennis Center Sunday, kicking off its spring schedule with back-to-back dual matches. The 'Cats and Cardinals square off at 2 p.m., with the UIC nightcap set to begin at 7 p.m.
NU -- ranked 59th in the initial Campbell's/ITA College Tennis poll -- looks to replicate its strong start from last season, when they swept both of these opponents in an identical doubleheader on Jan. 17, 2010.
Admission to all NU men's tennis home events is free for all fans and live online scoring for both matches will be available on NUsports.com by clicking here.
Led by Andrew McCarthy -- who as the team's only senior posted a 7-3 fall record -- and junior Joshua Graves, the Wildcats feature an experienced roster that lost only one starter from a year ago. Juniors Tobias Reitz and Eric Spector rank as the 'Cats' other upperclassmen and will be relied upon for significant contributions this season.
Flanking them are three sophomores who quickly gained extensive experience as freshmen in Spencer Wolf, Sidarth Balaji and Chris Jackman. Wolf teamed with Graves for several deep runs in doubles tournaments last fall, picking up eight wins along the way.
Scouting the Opposition
Sunday's match will also be the season-opener for Ball State, who is led by juniors Andres Monroy and Cliff Morrison. Both Monroy and sophomore Alexandre Brym lost tightly contested three-set matches in last year's dual with the 'Cats.
UIC will be fresh off a Saturday showdown with crosstown rival DePaul when they head north to Evanston. The Flames are led by junior Dave Robare and senior Luiz Gonzaga, who played No. 2 and No. 3 singles, respectively, in last year's dual. Northwestern swept all nine matches without dropping a set in last season's matchup with UIC.
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