Mosolova, Niu Lead 'Cats in 5-2 Victory Over Buckeyes

4/1/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis

April 1, 2011

Complete Results

Site: Columbus, Ohio (Stickney Outdoor Tennis Center)
Score: No. 18 Northwestern 5, No. 73 Ohio State 2
Records: NU (10-5, 3-0 Big Ten) Ohio State (10-8, 3-1 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: Sunday, April 3 at Penn State • University Park, Pa. • 10 a.m. CT

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Playing outdoors in less than ideal conditions, No. 18 Northwestern cruised in doubles play and went on to post a 5-2 victory over 73rd-ranked Ohio State in Columbus on Friday. NU's Maria Mosolova and Belinda Niu shut out their opponents at No. 2 doubles, 8-0, and won swiftly at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, respectively, to pace Northwestern.

The Wildcats also were aided by the return to the doubles lineup of sophomore Brittany Wowchuk, who saw her first dual match action since sustaining a wrist injury at the ITA National Indoor Team Championships back on Feb. 19.

While improving to 10-5 on the season and 3-0 in Big Ten play, Northwestern dealt Ohio State (10-8, 3-1) its first league loss of the year.

"I thought that overall we played some good tennis, especially given the temperature and the conditions outside," head coach Claire Pollard said of the match, which was played under cloud cover and with temps struggling to reach 50 degrees. "Brittany looked great in her first match back, she's working hard to get back to the high level she was playing at in mid-February."

Opening in doubles, Mosolova and Niu played together for the 10th time this season but only the fourth time at the No. 2 spot, but the senior-freshman combo had no difficulty dispatching of OSU's Kara Cecil and Noelle Malley for the first win of the day. NU's seventh-ranked tandem of Linda Abu Mushrefova and Nida Hamilton were next off with their 8-5 victory over Kelsey Haviland and Cami Hubbs, improving to 11-3 in dual play this year.

In her first outing since her injury, Wowchuk then teamed with Elena Chernyakova to complete the doubles sweep, 8-3, over Fidan Manashirova and Gabby Steele.

It didn't take long for the Wildcats to put the match out of reach for the home team as Mosolova and Niu surrendered a combined total of just four games in their wins on the No. 1 and 2 singles lines. Mosolova downed Haviland, 6-3, 6-0, to move to 11-0 on the dual season while the 74th-ranked Niu bested Steele, 6-1, 6-0.

No. 92 Kate Turvy clinched the match with her ninth dual victory of 2011, a 6-2, 6-3 effort over Kara Cecil.

Manashirova and Hubbs were able to give Ohio State their lone points of the dual with victories at No. 4 and No. 5 singles, respectively, but Hamilton ended the match on a winning note for Northwestern by coming out on top, 6-4, in the third set of her matchup with Malley. Hamilton is now 5-1 in her freshman campaign at the No. 6 singles spot.

Northwestern's road trip continues Sunday when it faces Penn State in University Park, with start time set for 10 a.m. CT.

No. 18 Northwestern 5, No. 73 Ohio State 2
Singles:
1: #13 Maria Mosolova (NU) def. Kelsey Haviland (OSU), 6-3, 6-0
2: #74 Belinda Niu (NU) def. Gabby Steele (OSU), 6-1, 6-0
3: #92 Kate Turvy (NU) def. Kara Cecil (OSU), 6-2, 6-3
4: Fidan Manashirova (OSU) def. Linda Abu Mushrefova (NU), 6-4, 7-6
5: Cami Hubbs (OSU) def. Stacey Lee (NU), 7-6, 6-4
6: Nida Hamilton (NU) def. Noelle Malley (OSU), 6-4, 0-6, 6-4

Doubles:
1: #7 Abu Mushrefova/Hamilton (NU) def. Haviland/Hubbs (OSU), 8-5
2: Mosolova/Niu (NU) def. Cecil/Malley (OSU), 8-0
3: Wowchuk/Chernyakova (NU) def. Manashirova/Steele (OSU), 8-3

Order of Finish:
Singles: (2, 1, 3*, 4, 5, 6)
Doubles: (2, 1*, 3)

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