Northwestern University Athletics
Friday, March 27
Seattle, Wash.
6 p.m. CT
Northwestern
at
Washington
Photo by: Colleen Charchut/Northwestern Athletics
'Cats Head West to Washington and Oregon
3/26/2026 4:10:00 PM | Women's Tennis
SEATTLE, Wash. — No. 60-ranked Northwestern women's tennis makes its penultimate road trip of the regular season this weekend, when it heads west to play against No. 20 Washington on Friday, March 27, at 6 p.m. CT and No. 53 Oregon on Sunday, March 29, at 1 p.m. CT.
This past weekend, the Wildcats (10-6, 3-2 Big Ten) recorded their first ranked wins of the season, downing No. 69 Indiana, 4-3, and No. 61 Purdue, 4-1. Though Northwestern dropped the doubles point in both matches, its singles performance allowed the team to secure its first two victories of the season in matches in which it lost the doubles point. Sophomore Mika Dagan Fruchtman, junior Autumn Rabjohns, and sophomore Maia Loureiro all went 2-0 in singles, with Dagan Fruchtman not dropping a set.
The Wildcats have cracked the national rankings for the first time this season, coming in at No. 60 following the wins. Their 3-2 record in Big Ten competition is the eighth-best mark in the conference, and the Wildcats are one of four Big Ten teams to have a win streak of at least two matches currently.
Sophomore Erica Jessel and first-year Margot Phanthala are the No. 27-ranked doubles team in the nation, the fifth-highest-ranked duo in the Big Ten. The pairing, which is 6-3 on the season together, is the highest-ranked Wildcat duo since Sept. 5, 2023, when Christina Hand and Justine Leong were ranked No. 26. Phanthala and Jessel have appeared in 12 consecutive matches together and have two wins over ranked doubles teams. Their six wins are the most by any duo this season.
Dagan Fructhman and junior Neena Feldman crack the ITA's doubles rankings as well, slotting in as the No. 81 team in the nation.
Phanthala, who has played all of her matches at the No. 1 singles position this season, is ranked as the ITA's No. 87 singles player in the country, the 16th-ranked player in the Big Ten. She is the first Northwestern player to crack the top 100 in the singles rankings since April 1, 2025, when Sydney Pratt was ranked No. 99. Additionally, she is the second-highest-ranked first-year in the conference. She is the first Wildcat first-year to be ranked in the top 100 since April 14, 2021, when Maria Shusharina was ranked No. 91. She has seven singles wins at the No. 1 position, the most by a Northwestern first-year at No. 1 singles since at least 2019.
Dagan Fruchtman and Rabjohns are tied for the most singles wins on the team with 11. Dagan Fruchtman holds an 11-4 record, primarily playing at the No. 5 position, and has won four consecutive matches to surpass her total wins from last season (2-12) by over five-fold. Rabjohns is 11-3 on the season, with two of her three losses coming to nationally-ranked players. She has also already surpassed her total wins from last season (8-5). In addition, eight of her 11 wins have come with her dropping just five games or fewer.
First-year Marelie Raath leads the team in wins with 18, having eight singles wins alongside a 10-5 doubles record. Her 10 doubles wins lead the team. Raath's 18 wins are the most by a Northwestern first-year since Pratt had 24 in the 2022 dual season, and her seven singles wins are the most by a Wildcat first-year since Pratt had 12 that season.
Northwestern is 6-3 all-time versus the Huskies (13-1, 4-1 Big Ten) after falling last season in the teams' first-ever matchup as conference foes. The Wildcats will look for their first win over Washington since February 17, 2018 — a 4-3 win in Evanston. Northwestern has not defeated the Huskies while in Seattle since March 21, 2006. Washington is coming off a weekend in which it suffered its first defeat, losing to Nebraska before defeating Iowa. The Huskies are led by a trio of ranked players with Reece Carter (No. 64), Erika Matsuda (No. 73) and Anna-Marie Weissheim (No. 103). Carter is a perfect 12-0 in singles. In addition, Matsuda and Carina Syrtveit are the No. 46 doubles team nationally.
The Wildcats are set to face the Ducks (11-6, 2-3 Big Ten) for the third time in program history, having split the two previous meetings. Northwestern won last season's match in Evanston, 4-0, but fell 4-3 in Eugene, Ore., in 2018. The Wildcats are therefore seeking their first road victory over Oregon. This past weekend, the Ducks beat Iowa before falling to Nebraska. Oregon is led by Tilde Jagare, its No. 1 singles player, who has an 8-4 record in the dual season. Bridget Mihulka leads Oregon with 12 singles wins (12-3). The Ducks' No. 1 doubles team of Tilde Jagare and Olivia Symons is 11-5 on the campaign.
Following the road trip, Northwestern heads back home to kick-start a five-game homestand by hosting No. 75 Michigan State on Saturday, April 4, at noon CT and No. 18 Michigan on Sunday, April 5, at 2 p.m. CT.
This past weekend, the Wildcats (10-6, 3-2 Big Ten) recorded their first ranked wins of the season, downing No. 69 Indiana, 4-3, and No. 61 Purdue, 4-1. Though Northwestern dropped the doubles point in both matches, its singles performance allowed the team to secure its first two victories of the season in matches in which it lost the doubles point. Sophomore Mika Dagan Fruchtman, junior Autumn Rabjohns, and sophomore Maia Loureiro all went 2-0 in singles, with Dagan Fruchtman not dropping a set.
The Wildcats have cracked the national rankings for the first time this season, coming in at No. 60 following the wins. Their 3-2 record in Big Ten competition is the eighth-best mark in the conference, and the Wildcats are one of four Big Ten teams to have a win streak of at least two matches currently.
Sophomore Erica Jessel and first-year Margot Phanthala are the No. 27-ranked doubles team in the nation, the fifth-highest-ranked duo in the Big Ten. The pairing, which is 6-3 on the season together, is the highest-ranked Wildcat duo since Sept. 5, 2023, when Christina Hand and Justine Leong were ranked No. 26. Phanthala and Jessel have appeared in 12 consecutive matches together and have two wins over ranked doubles teams. Their six wins are the most by any duo this season.
Dagan Fructhman and junior Neena Feldman crack the ITA's doubles rankings as well, slotting in as the No. 81 team in the nation.
Phanthala, who has played all of her matches at the No. 1 singles position this season, is ranked as the ITA's No. 87 singles player in the country, the 16th-ranked player in the Big Ten. She is the first Northwestern player to crack the top 100 in the singles rankings since April 1, 2025, when Sydney Pratt was ranked No. 99. Additionally, she is the second-highest-ranked first-year in the conference. She is the first Wildcat first-year to be ranked in the top 100 since April 14, 2021, when Maria Shusharina was ranked No. 91. She has seven singles wins at the No. 1 position, the most by a Northwestern first-year at No. 1 singles since at least 2019.
Dagan Fruchtman and Rabjohns are tied for the most singles wins on the team with 11. Dagan Fruchtman holds an 11-4 record, primarily playing at the No. 5 position, and has won four consecutive matches to surpass her total wins from last season (2-12) by over five-fold. Rabjohns is 11-3 on the season, with two of her three losses coming to nationally-ranked players. She has also already surpassed her total wins from last season (8-5). In addition, eight of her 11 wins have come with her dropping just five games or fewer.
First-year Marelie Raath leads the team in wins with 18, having eight singles wins alongside a 10-5 doubles record. Her 10 doubles wins lead the team. Raath's 18 wins are the most by a Northwestern first-year since Pratt had 24 in the 2022 dual season, and her seven singles wins are the most by a Wildcat first-year since Pratt had 12 that season.
Northwestern is 6-3 all-time versus the Huskies (13-1, 4-1 Big Ten) after falling last season in the teams' first-ever matchup as conference foes. The Wildcats will look for their first win over Washington since February 17, 2018 — a 4-3 win in Evanston. Northwestern has not defeated the Huskies while in Seattle since March 21, 2006. Washington is coming off a weekend in which it suffered its first defeat, losing to Nebraska before defeating Iowa. The Huskies are led by a trio of ranked players with Reece Carter (No. 64), Erika Matsuda (No. 73) and Anna-Marie Weissheim (No. 103). Carter is a perfect 12-0 in singles. In addition, Matsuda and Carina Syrtveit are the No. 46 doubles team nationally.
The Wildcats are set to face the Ducks (11-6, 2-3 Big Ten) for the third time in program history, having split the two previous meetings. Northwestern won last season's match in Evanston, 4-0, but fell 4-3 in Eugene, Ore., in 2018. The Wildcats are therefore seeking their first road victory over Oregon. This past weekend, the Ducks beat Iowa before falling to Nebraska. Oregon is led by Tilde Jagare, its No. 1 singles player, who has an 8-4 record in the dual season. Bridget Mihulka leads Oregon with 12 singles wins (12-3). The Ducks' No. 1 doubles team of Tilde Jagare and Olivia Symons is 11-5 on the campaign.
Following the road trip, Northwestern heads back home to kick-start a five-game homestand by hosting No. 75 Michigan State on Saturday, April 4, at noon CT and No. 18 Michigan on Sunday, April 5, at 2 p.m. CT.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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