Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Earns 19th Straight NCAA Tournament Bid
5/2/2017 5:53:00 PM | Women's Tennis
NCAA Tournament Bracket (PDF)
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern's women's tennis team is headed to the NCAA tournament for the 19th straight season the NCAA announced Tuesday.
The 37th-ranked Wildcats (14-11) are making their 28th overall appearance in the tourney field and will face Mississippi State (15-8) in a first-round matchup Saturday, May 13 in Atlanta, Georgia. The winner of the contest faces the winner of the match between host and eighth-seeded Georgia Tech and Alabama State with a spot in the Round of 16 on the line.
The first and second rounds will be played May 13-15 at 16 regional sites around the country. The final four rounds are set for May 18-23 at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex on the campus of the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia.
Northwestern has qualified for the national tournament in every season dating back to 1999, when head coach Claire Pollard took over the program. The Wildcats have advanced to at least the Round of 16 12 times during the current stretch. NU has played in the national quarterfinals three times.
Mississippi State is Pollard's alma mater. Pollard won the 1989 NCAA Doubles Championship as well as back-to-back Southeastern Conference Indoor and Outdoor Doubles Championships with former NU associate head coach, Jackie Holden.
Northwestern is led by junior Erin Larner who is ranked No. 79 in the nation in singles by the ITA. In doubles play, the team of Maddie Lipp and Alex Chatt boasts a No. 16 national ranking. Lipp has a No. 60 ranking when paired with Rheeya Doshi, while the duo of Larner and Brooke Rischbieth are No. 65.
As is the norm, Northwestern has faced one of the toughest schedules in the nation to date. Eight of the team's nonconference opponents are either currently ranked in the top 25 or were at the time of their competition. Of the team's 11 losses, 10 have been against opponents currently ranked in the top 15. The Wildcats' only three losses over the last month have been to No. 4 Ohio State and No. 10 Michigan (twice).
NU went 9-2 in Big Ten play to earn a third-place finish. The team posted a seven-match winning streak from March 25 through April 14, shutting out four of their opponents over that span.
Northwestern won its only previous meeting with Mississippi State, 6-1, back in the 1990 season.
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern's women's tennis team is headed to the NCAA tournament for the 19th straight season the NCAA announced Tuesday.
The 37th-ranked Wildcats (14-11) are making their 28th overall appearance in the tourney field and will face Mississippi State (15-8) in a first-round matchup Saturday, May 13 in Atlanta, Georgia. The winner of the contest faces the winner of the match between host and eighth-seeded Georgia Tech and Alabama State with a spot in the Round of 16 on the line.
The first and second rounds will be played May 13-15 at 16 regional sites around the country. The final four rounds are set for May 18-23 at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex on the campus of the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia.
Northwestern has qualified for the national tournament in every season dating back to 1999, when head coach Claire Pollard took over the program. The Wildcats have advanced to at least the Round of 16 12 times during the current stretch. NU has played in the national quarterfinals three times.
Mississippi State is Pollard's alma mater. Pollard won the 1989 NCAA Doubles Championship as well as back-to-back Southeastern Conference Indoor and Outdoor Doubles Championships with former NU associate head coach, Jackie Holden.
Northwestern is led by junior Erin Larner who is ranked No. 79 in the nation in singles by the ITA. In doubles play, the team of Maddie Lipp and Alex Chatt boasts a No. 16 national ranking. Lipp has a No. 60 ranking when paired with Rheeya Doshi, while the duo of Larner and Brooke Rischbieth are No. 65.
As is the norm, Northwestern has faced one of the toughest schedules in the nation to date. Eight of the team's nonconference opponents are either currently ranked in the top 25 or were at the time of their competition. Of the team's 11 losses, 10 have been against opponents currently ranked in the top 15. The Wildcats' only three losses over the last month have been to No. 4 Ohio State and No. 10 Michigan (twice).
NU went 9-2 in Big Ten play to earn a third-place finish. The team posted a seven-match winning streak from March 25 through April 14, shutting out four of their opponents over that span.
Northwestern won its only previous meeting with Mississippi State, 6-1, back in the 1990 season.
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