Jan. 22, 2006

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern's sixth-ranked women's tennis team completed the third day of the Wildcat Invitational by going 5-1 in singles play while posting a 3-1 doubles record Saturday at the Combe Tennis Center.

Northwestern began the day by facing Penn State in doubles.

At the No. 1 spot, Northwestern's eighth-ranked team of Cristelle Grier (Epsom, England/Putney) and Alexis Prousis topped Penn State's Sasha Abraham and Lauren Holzburg 8-4.

Feriel Esseghir (Sarasota, Fla./UCLA) and Georgia Rose (Mettawa, Ill./North Shore Country Day) followed that performance by beating PSU's Katelyn Bevard and Jenny Shular 8-2.

Alexis Conill (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Cardinal Gibbons) and Nazlie Ghazal (Temecula, Calif./Chapparal) kept it close at No. 3 doubles, but fell to Penn State's Leyla Morzan and Andrea Niculescu 9-7.

The Wildcats took the momentum from the doubles matches right into the singles competition versus Penn State.

While Conill suffered a setback to the Nittany Lions' Holzberg 7-5, 7-6 (7) at No. 4 singles, the other five 'Cats stepped up.

Prousis came through with a straight-set win at No. 1 singles, beating the Nittany Lions' Abraham 6-3, 6-2.

Grier followed suit at the No. 2 singles position, topping Nicolescu 6-2, 6-2.

At No. 3, Rose did not drop a single game en route to a 6-0, 6-0 win over PSU's Bevard.

Esseghir won in dominating fashion, topping Marzan 6-2, 6-2, at No. 5 singles.

Ghazal wrapped up the morning action for Northwestern with a convincing 6-0, 6-1 victory over Penn State's Kristine Harclerode.

The Wildcats were scheduled to face New Mexico in doubles action for the afternoon session, however all but one match ended early due to a men's dual at 6 p.m.

In the Wildcats' lone result from the afternoon, Conill and Jamie Peisel (Savannah, Ga./Savannah Country Day) beat New Mexico's Elisa Bonner and Mackenzie White 8-2.

The Wildcats return to action at 9 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 22 in the final action of the Wildcat Invitational.