Friday, April 29
East Lansing, Mich.
1 p.m.
Northwestern
4
at
1
Michigan State
'Cats Advance to Big Ten Tourney Semifinals With 4-1 Win Over MSU
4/29/2016 3:03:00 PM | Women's Tennis
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Second-seeded Northwestern marched on to the semifinal round of the 2016 Big Ten Women's Tennis Tournament by taking down host and 10th-seeded Michigan State 4-1 Friday afternoon.
With the victory, the Wildcats advance to take on third-seeded Michigan – a 4-0 winner over No. 6 seed Purdue – on Saturday with a berth in the championship match on the line.
The contest against the Spartans on Friday was the second consecutive for Northwestern. The 'Cats defeated Michigan State 6-1 last Sunday in East Lansing in the regular-season finale for both teams.
MSU had advanced to Friday's quarterfinal against NU by upsetting No. 7 seed Indiana in Thursday's opening round.
Ranked No. 30 in the nation by the ITA this week, Northwestern jumped in front of MSU in their quarterfinal round matchup by taking the doubles point. The No. 3 team of Erin Larner and Jillian Rooney had little trouble with Athena Trouillot and Davina Nguyen as the Wildcats' duo posted a 6-2 victory. The 22nd-ranked team of Alex Chatt and Maddie Lipp clinched the first team point for NU by easily taking down Erin Faulkner and Allie Baer, 6-1.
In singles play, reigning Big Ten Athlete of the Week and 50th-ranked Maddie Lipp was dominant against Lexi Baylis, posting a 6-1, 6-0 win at the No. 2 spot in the lineup to put Northwestern up 2-0 in the match. Erin Larner – ranked No. 102 – pulled the Wildcats within one point of the match win when she finished off Faulkner 6-4, 6-2 at No. 1 singles.
Michigan State got on the board with a 6-2, 6-4 victory by Trouillot at No. 5, but Chatt had the honor of clinching the match for the 'Cats with her 6-3, 6-4 win over Emily Metcalf at No. 4.
Saturday's semifinal matchup between the Wildcats and Wolverines will be a rematch of an epic showdown in Evanston last Friday that resulted in a 4-3 Northwestern win which snapped Michigan's 37-match Big Ten regular-season winning streak in the process. The teams are slated to square off at 1 p.m. Central time.
#30 Northwestern 4, Michigan State 1
Doubles
1. #22 Alex Chatt/Maddie Lipp (NU) def. Erin Faulkner/Allie Baer (MSU) 6-1
2. Alicia Barnett/Brooke Rischbieth (NU) vs. Emily Meyers/Emily Metcalf (MSU) 4-3 (unfinished)
3. Jillian Rooney/Erin Larner (NU) def. Athena Trouillot/Davina Nguyen (MSU) 6-2
Order of finish: 3, 1*
Singles
1. #102 Erin Larner (NU) def. Erin Faulkner (MSU) 6-4, 6-2
2. #50 Maddie Lipp (NU) def. Lexi Baylis (MSU) 6-1, 6-0
3. Alicia Barnett (NU) vs. Davina Nguyen (MSU) 6-1, 6-6 (unfinished)
4. Alex Chatt (NU) def. Emily Metcalf (MSU) 6-3, 6-4
5. Athena Trouillot (MSU) def. Jillian Rooney (NU) 6-2, 6-4
6. Brooke Rischbieth (NU) vs. Emily Meyers (MSU) 3-6, 3-2 (unfinished)
Order of finish: 2, 1, 5, 4*
With the victory, the Wildcats advance to take on third-seeded Michigan – a 4-0 winner over No. 6 seed Purdue – on Saturday with a berth in the championship match on the line.
The contest against the Spartans on Friday was the second consecutive for Northwestern. The 'Cats defeated Michigan State 6-1 last Sunday in East Lansing in the regular-season finale for both teams.
MSU had advanced to Friday's quarterfinal against NU by upsetting No. 7 seed Indiana in Thursday's opening round.
Ranked No. 30 in the nation by the ITA this week, Northwestern jumped in front of MSU in their quarterfinal round matchup by taking the doubles point. The No. 3 team of Erin Larner and Jillian Rooney had little trouble with Athena Trouillot and Davina Nguyen as the Wildcats' duo posted a 6-2 victory. The 22nd-ranked team of Alex Chatt and Maddie Lipp clinched the first team point for NU by easily taking down Erin Faulkner and Allie Baer, 6-1.
In singles play, reigning Big Ten Athlete of the Week and 50th-ranked Maddie Lipp was dominant against Lexi Baylis, posting a 6-1, 6-0 win at the No. 2 spot in the lineup to put Northwestern up 2-0 in the match. Erin Larner – ranked No. 102 – pulled the Wildcats within one point of the match win when she finished off Faulkner 6-4, 6-2 at No. 1 singles.
Michigan State got on the board with a 6-2, 6-4 victory by Trouillot at No. 5, but Chatt had the honor of clinching the match for the 'Cats with her 6-3, 6-4 win over Emily Metcalf at No. 4.
Saturday's semifinal matchup between the Wildcats and Wolverines will be a rematch of an epic showdown in Evanston last Friday that resulted in a 4-3 Northwestern win which snapped Michigan's 37-match Big Ten regular-season winning streak in the process. The teams are slated to square off at 1 p.m. Central time.
#30 Northwestern 4, Michigan State 1
Doubles
1. #22 Alex Chatt/Maddie Lipp (NU) def. Erin Faulkner/Allie Baer (MSU) 6-1
2. Alicia Barnett/Brooke Rischbieth (NU) vs. Emily Meyers/Emily Metcalf (MSU) 4-3 (unfinished)
3. Jillian Rooney/Erin Larner (NU) def. Athena Trouillot/Davina Nguyen (MSU) 6-2
Order of finish: 3, 1*
Singles
1. #102 Erin Larner (NU) def. Erin Faulkner (MSU) 6-4, 6-2
2. #50 Maddie Lipp (NU) def. Lexi Baylis (MSU) 6-1, 6-0
3. Alicia Barnett (NU) vs. Davina Nguyen (MSU) 6-1, 6-6 (unfinished)
4. Alex Chatt (NU) def. Emily Metcalf (MSU) 6-3, 6-4
5. Athena Trouillot (MSU) def. Jillian Rooney (NU) 6-2, 6-4
6. Brooke Rischbieth (NU) vs. Emily Meyers (MSU) 3-6, 3-2 (unfinished)
Order of finish: 2, 1, 5, 4*
••••••
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