April 1, 2011

Northwestern (9-7, 0-2 Big Ten) vs. No. 3 Ohio State (18-2, 3-0 Big Ten)
Saturday, April 2
Combe Tennis Center
Evanston, Ill. -- Noon
Live Stats: NUsports.com

Northwestern (9-7, 0-2 Big Ten) vs. Penn State (10-10, 0-3 Big Ten)
Sunday, April 3
Combe Tennis Center
Evanston, Ill. -- 10 a.m.
Live Stats: NUsports.com

EVANSTON, ILL. - A tough four-match Big Ten road trip lies in the weeks ahead for Northwestern, but first the 'Cats will continue Big Ten play and face two difficult opponents at home. On Saturday, NU will battle Big Ten leader and third-ranked Ohio State at noon, followed by a meeting with Penn State on Sunday at 10 a.m.

Scheduling Note: With temperatures in Evanston expected to hover in the low to mid 40's this weekend, both of Northwestern's matches are scheduled to take place indoors at the Combe Tennis Center (2311 N Campus Drive).

Northwestern's Big Ten schedule is rife with opportunities for wins over ranked opponents. The most recent Campbell's/ITA College Tennis team rankings, released on March 29, featured the following conference foes in the top 75:
No. 3 Ohio State
No. 13 Illinois
No. 22 Michigan
No. 24 Minnesota
No. 29 Indiana
No. 53 Michigan State
No. 60 Purdue
No. 62 Iowa

As it has in 12 of 16 dual matches this season, Northwestern will be looking to get off to a strong start in each match with a 1-0 lead following doubles. NU has winning percentages of at .625 better at all three doubles spots this season, led by Joshua Graves and Spencer Wolf's record of 12-2 at the top spot.

Scouting Ohio State No. 3 Ohio State comes in tied for the lead with Indiana in the Big Ten standings with a 3-0 record in conference play. The Buckeyes are coming off their 69th consecutive conference victory with a win over No. 10 Illinois in Champaign. Ohio State has an all-time record of 54-39 vs. Northwestern.

The Buckeyes are a young team anchored by junior Chase Buchanan, who is 20-5 in singles play, and the outstanding play of freshman Blaz Rola, who leads Ohio State with a 27-3 singles record.

OSU's Devin McCarthy is the younger brother of Wildcat senior Andrew McCarthy and has a stellar 20-3 record in singles play as a redshirt sophomore.

Scouting the Nittany Lions
Penn State comes to Evanston with a 4-2 record in the last six games, with the two losses coming in Big Ten play against No. 10 Illinois and No. 66 Iowa. Northwestern split its two meetings with the Nittany Lions last season; PSU escaped Evanston with a 4-3 win on the final day of the 2010 regular season only to have the Wildcats return the favor the following week in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.

The Nittany Lions are led by lone senior captain Eddie Bourchier who holds the record at Penn State for career doubles victories with 79. Bourchier is teamed up in doubles with freshman Russell Bader who leads Penn State with 18 singles victories.

Looking Ahead
The Wildcats will be continuing Big Ten conference play as they face a rigorous 10-day, four-match road trip beginning with a visit to No. 62 Iowa on April 8. The 'Cats will then meet three more ranked opponents -- No. 13 Illinois, No. 29 Indiana and No. 60 Purdue -- to round out the road trip.

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