Northwestern University Athletics
Friday, February 6
Evanston, Ill.
3:30 p.m. CT
Northwestern
vs
Auburn
Wildcats Set to Host ITA National Team Indoor Championships
2/5/2026 7:22:00 PM | Women's Tennis
EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern women's tennis, co-hosts of the 2026 ITA Division I Women's National Team Indoor Championship, is set to kick off the competition by facing No. 4-ranked Auburn. The Wildcats (5-1), the No. 8 seed, will face the Tigers (11-0), the No. 1 seed, on Friday, Feb. 6, at 3:30 p.m. CT, or 15 minutes after the conclusion of the previous match.
Northwestern's 5-1 record is its best start to a dual season since 2021. This comes after the Wildcats dropped their most recent match to No. 12 Vanderbilt, but Northwestern started a dual season 5-0 for the first time since 2010.
This past weekend, the Wildcats split their road trip to Tennessee after opening the weekend with a 7-0 sweep of Middle Tennessee. Northwestern was led to victory by doubles wins from the pairings of junior Neena Feldman and sophomore Mika Dagan Fruchtman (No. 1) and sophomore Maia Loureiro and first-year Marelie Raath (No. 3). In singles, Raath notched a 6-0, 6-0 victory at No. 5, No. 2 Feldman provided a 6-2, 6-1 triumph, and No. 4 Dagan Fruchtman clinched the match with her 6-3, 6-3 result.
First-year Margot Phanthala is ranked as the ITA's No. 39 singles player in the nation. Playing all of her matches at the No. 1 singles position, she is 5-1 with her lone loss coming to Vanderbilt's Célia-Belle Mohr, a three-time ITA All-American in singles. Feldman and Dagan Fruchtman crack the ITA's doubles rankings, slotting in as the No. 50 team in the country.
Raath is the lone player on Northwestern who remains with an undefeated singles record (min. 3 matches played). Playing at the No. 5 and No. 6 slots, she has an unblemished 5-0 record. Raath is also part of the winningest doubles team for the Wildcats, as she and Loureiro have a 4-1 record on the season together.
Friday afternoon's action will be Northwestern's first-ever meeting with Auburn, though the Tigers visited Combe Tennis Center last season for the competition. Auburn is led by its top singles player and the nation's No. 59 player DJ Bennett, an ITA All-American in both singles and doubles last season. The Tigers are rounded by a trio of other top 100 players in Ashton Bowers (No. 30), Ava Esposito (No. 31), and Angella Okutoyi (No. 84).
On Saturday, the winner of the match between the Wildcats and the Tigers will take on the winner of No. 4-seed Oklahoma State and No. 5-seed NC State. The Cowgirls are the nation's No. 8 team, while the Wolfpack slots in at No. 9. That match will take place on Saturday, Feb. 7, at 3:30 p.m. CT inside Combe Tennis Center.
The loser of Northwestern and Auburn's tilt will continue play with a consolation match against the loser between Oklahoma State and NC State. That match will take place at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday.
Northwestern's 5-1 record is its best start to a dual season since 2021. This comes after the Wildcats dropped their most recent match to No. 12 Vanderbilt, but Northwestern started a dual season 5-0 for the first time since 2010.
This past weekend, the Wildcats split their road trip to Tennessee after opening the weekend with a 7-0 sweep of Middle Tennessee. Northwestern was led to victory by doubles wins from the pairings of junior Neena Feldman and sophomore Mika Dagan Fruchtman (No. 1) and sophomore Maia Loureiro and first-year Marelie Raath (No. 3). In singles, Raath notched a 6-0, 6-0 victory at No. 5, No. 2 Feldman provided a 6-2, 6-1 triumph, and No. 4 Dagan Fruchtman clinched the match with her 6-3, 6-3 result.
First-year Margot Phanthala is ranked as the ITA's No. 39 singles player in the nation. Playing all of her matches at the No. 1 singles position, she is 5-1 with her lone loss coming to Vanderbilt's Célia-Belle Mohr, a three-time ITA All-American in singles. Feldman and Dagan Fruchtman crack the ITA's doubles rankings, slotting in as the No. 50 team in the country.
Raath is the lone player on Northwestern who remains with an undefeated singles record (min. 3 matches played). Playing at the No. 5 and No. 6 slots, she has an unblemished 5-0 record. Raath is also part of the winningest doubles team for the Wildcats, as she and Loureiro have a 4-1 record on the season together.
Friday afternoon's action will be Northwestern's first-ever meeting with Auburn, though the Tigers visited Combe Tennis Center last season for the competition. Auburn is led by its top singles player and the nation's No. 59 player DJ Bennett, an ITA All-American in both singles and doubles last season. The Tigers are rounded by a trio of other top 100 players in Ashton Bowers (No. 30), Ava Esposito (No. 31), and Angella Okutoyi (No. 84).
On Saturday, the winner of the match between the Wildcats and the Tigers will take on the winner of No. 4-seed Oklahoma State and No. 5-seed NC State. The Cowgirls are the nation's No. 8 team, while the Wolfpack slots in at No. 9. That match will take place on Saturday, Feb. 7, at 3:30 p.m. CT inside Combe Tennis Center.
The loser of Northwestern and Auburn's tilt will continue play with a consolation match against the loser between Oklahoma State and NC State. That match will take place at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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