Northwestern University Athletics
Sunday, February 15
Evanston, Ill.
10 a.m. CT
Northwestern
7
vs
0
Fordham
Photo by: Michelle Nartey/Northwestern Athletics
Wildcats Sweep Rams on Sunday
2/15/2026 3:31:00 PM | Women's Tennis
EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern women's tennis returned to the win column on Sunday morning with a 7-0 sweep of Fordham inside Combe Tennis Center.
"We definitely overtrained this week, but it was intentional in the hopes that we would be able to make some progress and be ready to go on March 6, when the Big Ten season starts," Head Coach Claire Pollard said.
The Wildcats (6-4) were without first-year Margot Phanthala, who has played every match this season at No. 1 singles, due to injury. Pollard expects Phanthala, the nation's No. 39 singles player, to return to the lineup next weekend.
To open the match against the Rams (3-7), Northwestern won a contested doubles point. Junior Neena Feldman and first-year Marelie Raath, at the No. 2 slot, jumped out to an early 4-0 lead and prevailed 6-3. At No. 3, junior Autumn Rabjohns and sophomore Mika Dagan Fruchtman trailed 4-2 early on, but the duo won four consecutive games to notch a 6-4 victory.
"We need to play long points with (Autumn and Mika) together," Pollard said. "They really scrap well, they move well. We can extend the point and use our legs really well, and I think that's what we got into."
Riding a 1-0 lead advantage into singles play, Feldman brought her momentum from doubles into singles. Playing at the No. 2 spot, Feldman overpowered her opponent to the tune of 6-1, 6-1, for her most dominant win of the season. She won nine consecutive games in the middle of the match.
Rabjohns, playing her first career match at the No. 1 position, was next to finish and registered a 6-2, 6-1 win to put the Wildcats up 3-0.
"Our two juniors on [No.] 1 and [No. 2] singles, they're playing a bigger role in the program," Pollard said. "I thought they really handled themselves very well (and) were in control of their matches."
Rabjohns, who has played the majority of her matches at the No. 3 singles slot this season, said she felt no difference in playing on the top-ranked court.
"I feel like I've played just about every court in my time here, including (watching) every match my freshman year," Rabjohns said. "Every court is a point, so I really don't care where I play. As long as I'm playing and representing the school, that's all I want to do."
Raath clinched the match for Northwestern with a 6-4, 6-2 victory at No. 4 singles. The St. Albans, England, native leads the team in wins (12) with six singles wins and six doubles wins on the campaign.
The Wildcats secured the sweep with wins from sophomore Erica Jessel at No. 5 (6-4, 6-4), sophomore Maia Loureiro at No. 3 (4-6, 6-3, 6-2), and Dagan Fruchtman at No. 6 (6-2, 5-7, [11-9]).
Now one week removed from competing in the ITA Division I Women's National Team Indoor Championships, the team feels the experience of playing against some of the nation's top teams will be key to its success as the season progresses.
"It was such a good experience for everyone," Rabjohns said. "We got to play at that level and see ourselves being incredibly competitive at that level as well. … Everyone's competing so well. I'm so proud of everyone."
Northwestern hosts DePaul on Sunday, Feb. 22, for its final match before Big Ten play begins. First serve is slated for 4 p.m. CT at the Combe Tennis Center.
Sunday Sweep ????
— Northwestern Women's Tennis (@NUWildcatTennis) February 15, 2026
NU 7 | FU 0 pic.twitter.com/F2Cnn9j5p0
"We definitely overtrained this week, but it was intentional in the hopes that we would be able to make some progress and be ready to go on March 6, when the Big Ten season starts," Head Coach Claire Pollard said.
The Wildcats (6-4) were without first-year Margot Phanthala, who has played every match this season at No. 1 singles, due to injury. Pollard expects Phanthala, the nation's No. 39 singles player, to return to the lineup next weekend.
To open the match against the Rams (3-7), Northwestern won a contested doubles point. Junior Neena Feldman and first-year Marelie Raath, at the No. 2 slot, jumped out to an early 4-0 lead and prevailed 6-3. At No. 3, junior Autumn Rabjohns and sophomore Mika Dagan Fruchtman trailed 4-2 early on, but the duo won four consecutive games to notch a 6-4 victory.
"We need to play long points with (Autumn and Mika) together," Pollard said. "They really scrap well, they move well. We can extend the point and use our legs really well, and I think that's what we got into."
Riding a 1-0 lead advantage into singles play, Feldman brought her momentum from doubles into singles. Playing at the No. 2 spot, Feldman overpowered her opponent to the tune of 6-1, 6-1, for her most dominant win of the season. She won nine consecutive games in the middle of the match.
Feldman takes No. 2 ??
— Northwestern Women's Tennis (@NUWildcatTennis) February 15, 2026
NU 2 | FU 0 pic.twitter.com/n3Nvsvy7HF
Rabjohns, playing her first career match at the No. 1 position, was next to finish and registered a 6-2, 6-1 win to put the Wildcats up 3-0.
"Our two juniors on [No.] 1 and [No. 2] singles, they're playing a bigger role in the program," Pollard said. "I thought they really handled themselves very well (and) were in control of their matches."
Rabjohns, who has played the majority of her matches at the No. 3 singles slot this season, said she felt no difference in playing on the top-ranked court.
"I feel like I've played just about every court in my time here, including (watching) every match my freshman year," Rabjohns said. "Every court is a point, so I really don't care where I play. As long as I'm playing and representing the school, that's all I want to do."
Raath clinched the match for Northwestern with a 6-4, 6-2 victory at No. 4 singles. The St. Albans, England, native leads the team in wins (12) with six singles wins and six doubles wins on the campaign.
The Wildcats secured the sweep with wins from sophomore Erica Jessel at No. 5 (6-4, 6-4), sophomore Maia Loureiro at No. 3 (4-6, 6-3, 6-2), and Dagan Fruchtman at No. 6 (6-2, 5-7, [11-9]).
Now one week removed from competing in the ITA Division I Women's National Team Indoor Championships, the team feels the experience of playing against some of the nation's top teams will be key to its success as the season progresses.
"It was such a good experience for everyone," Rabjohns said. "We got to play at that level and see ourselves being incredibly competitive at that level as well. … Everyone's competing so well. I'm so proud of everyone."
Northwestern hosts DePaul on Sunday, Feb. 22, for its final match before Big Ten play begins. First serve is slated for 4 p.m. CT at the Combe Tennis Center.
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,3
#1 Singles Match
12
Nevena Kolarevic / 0 [FU]
21
66
#2 Singles Match
12
Aya Mastunaga / 0 [FU]
11
66
#3 Singles Match
123
Paola Dalmonico / 0 [FU]
632
466
#4 Singles Match
12
Catalina Padilla / 0 [FU]
42
66
#5 Singles Match
12
Valerija Kargina / 0 [FU]
44
66
#6 Singles Match
123
Lily Chitambar / 0 [FU]
270
651
Order of Finish:
2,1,4,5,3,6
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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