Comeback 'Cats down Penn State, 4-2

Sunday, March 24

University Park, Pa.

10 a.m. CT

Northwestern

Penn State

Photo by: Mary Grace Grabill/Northwestern Athletics

3/24/2024 4:43:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - No. 60 Northwestern opened their Big Ten slate this weekend with a pair of road matches at No. 1 Ohio State (19-1, 1-0 B1G) and Penn State (4-13, 0-2 B1G). After falling 4-0 to the nation's top team on Friday, the 'Cats bounced back with a 4-2 victory over the Nittany Lions on Sunday.

The 'Cats fought hard during doubles to open their day in University Park. Gleb Blekher and Felix Nordby were on the board first with a 6-3 victory at #1 while the other two matches stayed closely contested. Penn State came away with a 6-4 win at #2 doubles, then Saiprakash Goli and Chad Miller eventually fell in a tiebreak after battling back-and-forth with their opponents at the #3 position. All said, the Nittany Lions came away with the doubles point and led the match 1-0.

Penn State also struck first in singles, taking the #1 match 6-3, 6-1. Then, down 2-0, the 'Cats began their comeback. Nordby accounted for the first point with a win in straight sets over his opponent at the #4 position. Meanwhile, Blekher and Goli battled through three sets each before both coming out on top. Chad Miller completed the Wildcat's rally with a 6-3, 6-2 win at #6, locking up Northwestern's first conference win of the year.

After splitting their opening weekend road trip, Northwestern will return home to continue conference play next weekend. The 'Cats will host No. 43 Michigan on Friday at 6 p.m., then No. 18 Michigan State at noon in the first half of a doubleheader Sunday. The weekend's action will conclude on Sunday evening, when the 'Cats will face off against Chicago State at 5:30 p.m.