Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Ranked 17th to Begin 2015 Campaign
1/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
EVANSTON, Ill. - The ITA released its first team rankings of the 2015 season this week, and Northwestern opens up the year at No. 17.
The Wildcats were 20-7 a season ago and won their 15th Big Ten conference tournament in the past 16 years with a 4-3 win over Michigan in the finals. 2013-14 marked the 11th straight year that NU won at least 20 matches.
The season's first player rankings were also released this week.
The duo of Alicia Barnett and Brooke Rischbieth is ranked 24th after winning three of four fall matches. Barnett and Rischbieth scored a big 8-4 upset over the 14th-ranked doubles team of Ronit Yurovsky and Sarah Lee from Michigan at the ITA Midwest Regional Championships in October. The Northwestern tandem advanced to the semifinals of that event.
Several individuals had standout fall campaigns to begin the 2014-15 season. Freshman Erin Larner was 12-3 and ended 2014 on a five-match winning streak. Lok Sze Leung put together an 8-5 mark, highlighted by a win over then-No. 29 Quinn Gleason of Notre Dame.
Northwestern is scheduled to play 15 matches against teams that appear in the ITA rankings. 10 of those opponents are in the top-50 nationally. The `Cats host a trio of ranked teams for the ITA Kick-Off Weekend and welcome No. 42 Purdue, No. 15 Baylor, No. 22 Texas, No. 48 Illinois and No. 69 Maryland to Evanston throughout the season.
The Wildcats begin the 2015 season by traveling to Tuscaloosa, Ala. for the Alabama Invite from Friday, Jan. 16 to Sunday, Jan. 18. NU makes its first home appearance on Saturday, Jan. 24 when it hosts three other teams for the ITA Kick-Off Weekend. No. 32 Arizona State, No. 21 Rice and No. 29 Kentucky are making the trip to Evanston for the annual event.
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