The Northwestern team did it again, taking the ITA Women's Team Indoor Championship for the second year in a row.
It started out as a (Wild)cat fight, with a doubles win for each team before it came down to No. 1. Elena Chernyakova and Lauren Lui pulled it through, and the defending champions had their first point. The lead didn't last long as the Tar Heels evened it up with a win from Sophie Grabinski at No. 5.
At the No. 4 position, Lauren Lui got back the momentum by taking Northwestern's first singles point and giving her team a 2-1 lead, but the Tar Heels came back with a three-set win at No. 3. All the remaining matches would also go to a third, with Samantha Murray and Marie Mosolova taking the next two respectively for Northwestern, giving them the trophy at 4-2. The remaining match of Stacey Lee vs. Shinann Featherston -- who had faced each other growing up in New York many times -- would be unfinished in the third set.
The win in 2009 gave the Big Ten its first title at this event, but that didn't mean this one any less special. "I think it feels just as good this year as it did last year, especially because we have a new team and a younger team and we didn't know how good we were," said Mosolova.
In other Big Ten matches at the ITA Women's Team Indoor Championship, after bowing out in the main draw, the hosting Wisconsin Badgers fell to Clemson and Georgia Tech in the consolation. Michigan, who also lost in the first round, picked up an upset consolation win over No. 6 Miami (4-3) and also beat Clemson, 5-2.
No. 2 Northwestern 4, North Carolina 2
Maria Mosolova (NU) defeated Katrina Tsang (NC), 7-6,3-6,6-1
Samantha Murray (NU) defeated Sanaz Marand (NC), 4-6,6-2,6-0
Jelena Durisic (NC) defeated Kate Turvy (NU), 6-2, -6, 6-2
Lauren Lui (NU) defeated Zoe De Bruycker (NC), 6-3,6-4
Sophie Grabinski (NC) defeated Brittany Wowchuk (NU), 6-4,6-2
Stacey Lee (NU) vs. Shinann Featherston (NC), 5-7, 7-6, 3-2 Did N0t Finish
Chernyakova/Lui (NU) defeated Grabinski/Marand (NC), 8-6
Tsang/Featherston (NC) defeated Mosolova/Wowchuk (NU), 8-4
Murray/Turvy (NU) defeated Ffriend/Hamm (NC), 8-5
Click here for results from all the women's matches.
The University of Virginia won their third straight ITA Men's Indoor Championships. The Cavaliers lost the doubles point to Tennessee, but rallied back to win the next four singles. Drew Courtney, who also clinched the match last year, completed the 4-1 score. As for the Big Ten teams, there was not a playoff for 3/4, so Ohio State stayed in place as a semifinalist. The Illini came back from a first round main draw loss to Tennessee and a consolation defeat by Kentucky to pick up a win over Fresno State. (Click here for results from all the men's matches.)
Photo of Wildcat women courtesy of Northwestern Sports Information. For more on the men's finals, visit Zoo Tennis.
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