Northwestern University Athletics
Friday, April 20
State College, Pa.
3 p.m.
Northwestern
6
at
1
Penn State
Northwestern Clinches Share of Big Ten Title
4/20/2018 5:32:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Results (PDF)
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Champions again.
For the first time since 2012, Northwestern's women's tennis team has clinched at least a share of the Big Ten regular-season title. The Wildcats ran their conference record to 10-0 Friday by earning a 6-1 win at Penn State on Friday. Northwestern last won a Big Ten crown in 2014 when it captured the conference tournament title.
NU (18-4, 10-0 B1G) remained undefeated in league play and can clinch the title outright with either a loss by Michigan at Michigan State on Saturday or by the Wildcats winning their regular-season finale at Ohio State on Sunday.
The regular-season title is Northwestern's 13th under the leadership of head coach Claire Pollard, tying her with former Indiana coach Lin Loring for the most in Big Ten history. It is the Wildcats' 15th Big Ten regular-season crown overall and the 17th time they have won either a regular-season and/or tournament title in a season.
By virtue of the win, NU also clinched the No. 1 seed for next week's Big Ten tournament in Minneapolis.
Playing outdoors for just the second time in conference play, Northwestern took care of business in earning the doubles point. The 'Cats got a 6-2 win from the No. 3 team of Julie Byrne and Rheeya Doshi before the fourth-ranked duo of Erin Larner and Maddie Lipp emerged with a 6-1 win at No. 1.
NU kept things rolling into singles play where the Wildcats won the first set in five of the six matches.
At No. 1, 39th-ranked Larner struggled early against Frederikke Svarre as she trailed 5-3 in her first set. However, the senior put her foot on the gas, winning 10 of the next 11 games to earn a 7-5, 6-1 victory. A 6-3, 6-2 win by Byrne at No. 4 raised Northwestern's lead in the match to 3-0 and brought the Wildcats within one win of the title.
Just as she did in a big 4-3 win at Michigan two weeks earlier, senior Alex Chatt had the honor of earning the clincher as she closed out Hanna Wikberg in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, at No. 5.
Penn State managed to get on the board with a victory at No. 6, but NU was able to close things out with a pair of tight victories. Lee Or topped Samantha Smith, 6-3, 7-6, at No. 3 before 70th-ranked Lipp was able to finish off Shannon Hanley in straight sets as well, 7-5, 6-4.
Northwestern goes for the outright Big Ten title Sunday at Ohio State. First serve is set for 11 a.m. Central time. A win against the Buckeyes would give the 'Cats their first unbeaten Big Ten season since 2009.
#12 Northwestern 6, Penn State 1
Doubles
1. #4 Erin Larner/Maddie Lipp (NU) def. Shannon Hanley/Samantha Smith (PSU) 6-1
2. Frederikke Svarre/Olivia Rohrbacher (PSU) vs. #31 Lee Or/Alex Chatt (NU) 4-4, unfinished
3. Julie Byrne/Rheeya Doshi (NU) def. Bennett Dunn/Gabby O'Gorman (PSU) 6-2
Order of finish: 3, 1*
Singles
1. #39 Erin Larner (NU) def. Frederikke Svarre (PSU) 7-5, 6-1
2. #70 Maddie Lipp (NU) def. Shannon Hanley (PSU) 7-5, 6-4
3. Lee Or (NU) def. Samantha Smith (PSU) 6-3, 7-6 (7-5)
4. Julie Byrne (NU) def. Bennett Dunn (PSU) 6-3, 6-2
5. Alex Chatt (NU) def. Hanna Wikberg (PSU) 6-2, 6-4
6. Olivia Rohrbacher (PSU) def. Inci Ogut (NU) 6-4, 6-3
Order of finish: 1, 4, 5*, 6, 3, 2
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Champions again.
For the first time since 2012, Northwestern's women's tennis team has clinched at least a share of the Big Ten regular-season title. The Wildcats ran their conference record to 10-0 Friday by earning a 6-1 win at Penn State on Friday. Northwestern last won a Big Ten crown in 2014 when it captured the conference tournament title.
NU (18-4, 10-0 B1G) remained undefeated in league play and can clinch the title outright with either a loss by Michigan at Michigan State on Saturday or by the Wildcats winning their regular-season finale at Ohio State on Sunday.
The regular-season title is Northwestern's 13th under the leadership of head coach Claire Pollard, tying her with former Indiana coach Lin Loring for the most in Big Ten history. It is the Wildcats' 15th Big Ten regular-season crown overall and the 17th time they have won either a regular-season and/or tournament title in a season.
By virtue of the win, NU also clinched the No. 1 seed for next week's Big Ten tournament in Minneapolis.
Playing outdoors for just the second time in conference play, Northwestern took care of business in earning the doubles point. The 'Cats got a 6-2 win from the No. 3 team of Julie Byrne and Rheeya Doshi before the fourth-ranked duo of Erin Larner and Maddie Lipp emerged with a 6-1 win at No. 1.
NU kept things rolling into singles play where the Wildcats won the first set in five of the six matches.
At No. 1, 39th-ranked Larner struggled early against Frederikke Svarre as she trailed 5-3 in her first set. However, the senior put her foot on the gas, winning 10 of the next 11 games to earn a 7-5, 6-1 victory. A 6-3, 6-2 win by Byrne at No. 4 raised Northwestern's lead in the match to 3-0 and brought the Wildcats within one win of the title.
Just as she did in a big 4-3 win at Michigan two weeks earlier, senior Alex Chatt had the honor of earning the clincher as she closed out Hanna Wikberg in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, at No. 5.
Penn State managed to get on the board with a victory at No. 6, but NU was able to close things out with a pair of tight victories. Lee Or topped Samantha Smith, 6-3, 7-6, at No. 3 before 70th-ranked Lipp was able to finish off Shannon Hanley in straight sets as well, 7-5, 6-4.
Northwestern goes for the outright Big Ten title Sunday at Ohio State. First serve is set for 11 a.m. Central time. A win against the Buckeyes would give the 'Cats their first unbeaten Big Ten season since 2009.
#12 Northwestern 6, Penn State 1
Doubles
1. #4 Erin Larner/Maddie Lipp (NU) def. Shannon Hanley/Samantha Smith (PSU) 6-1
2. Frederikke Svarre/Olivia Rohrbacher (PSU) vs. #31 Lee Or/Alex Chatt (NU) 4-4, unfinished
3. Julie Byrne/Rheeya Doshi (NU) def. Bennett Dunn/Gabby O'Gorman (PSU) 6-2
Order of finish: 3, 1*
Singles
1. #39 Erin Larner (NU) def. Frederikke Svarre (PSU) 7-5, 6-1
2. #70 Maddie Lipp (NU) def. Shannon Hanley (PSU) 7-5, 6-4
3. Lee Or (NU) def. Samantha Smith (PSU) 6-3, 7-6 (7-5)
4. Julie Byrne (NU) def. Bennett Dunn (PSU) 6-3, 6-2
5. Alex Chatt (NU) def. Hanna Wikberg (PSU) 6-2, 6-4
6. Olivia Rohrbacher (PSU) def. Inci Ogut (NU) 6-4, 6-3
Order of finish: 1, 4, 5*, 6, 3, 2
••••••
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Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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