Wolverines to Hit the Road for Trip to No. 7 Northwestern

» Michigan concludes its season series against Northwestern, traveling to Evanston to face the Wildcats on Sunday (April 11) at noon CDT.
» Following this weekend's match, Michigan has just one regular-season match remaining.
» The Wolverines are looking for the season sweep of the Wildcats after recording a 5-2 win against NU earlier this season (March 7) at the Varsity Tennis Center.

THIS WEEK
Sunday, April 11 -- at #7 Northwestern (Evanston, Ill.), Noon CDT
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The No. 19-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team (13-2, 13-1 Big Ten) heads to Evanston for its final road match of the season, facing off against No. 7-ranked Northwestern (16-2, 12-1 B1G) on Sunday (April 11) at noon CDT. The teams are tied atop the Big Ten standings, along with Ohio State, as all three teams have just one conference loss on the season.

Wolverine Bites

• The end of the regular season is in sight for Michigan, which faces Northwestern this weekend (Sunday, April 11) before wrapping things up at home against Michigan State next weekend (Sunday, April 18). There will be an open weekend to follow before the Wolverines head to Wisconsin for the Big Ten Tournament (April 28-May 2).

• The trip to Northwestern marks a return to their home state of Illinois for Chiara Lommer (Gleview) and Bella Lorenzini (Clarendon Hills). Michigan's last trip to the Land of Lincoln came in last year's 2020 ITA National Team Indoor Championship, held at the XS Center in Chicago.

• There is a logjam at the top of the Big Ten standings, with Michigan (13-1), Ohio State (12-1) and Northwestern (12-1) all featuring just one loss. U-M wraps up a home-and-home series with Northwestern this weekend, after splitting a two-match series with Ohio State. Northwestern and Ohio State are not scheduled to meet as conference opponents this season, as NU took a 4-3 non-conference match against Ohio State at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship.

• U-M and Northwestern are meeting for the second time this season after Michigan recorded a 5-2 win over the Wildcats on March 7 at the Varsity Tennis Center. Michigan won the doubles point and got singles wins from Kari Miller, Chiara Lommer, Jaedan Brown and Gala Mesochoritou in the victory. U-M won three of the first four singles matches off court to clinch the win, eventually splitting the final two in the win.

• Northwestern (16-2, 12-1 Big Ten) will play at Indiana on Friday (April 9) before welcoming Michigan on Sunday (April 11). Entering the weekend, NU has won its last six matches since its loss in Ann Arbor. The Wildcats have a pair of ranked singles players in No. 65 Maria Susharina and No. 83 Clarissa Hand. On the doubles court, Julie Byrne and Hannah McColgan form the No. 51-ranked duo. U-M has won four straight against the Wildcats, dating back to a 4-3 win in the 2018 Big Ten Tournament.

• Michigan's freshman class, which was ranked as the No. 6 recruiting class, has delivered this season. Kari Miller, who is ranked No. 43 by the ITA, has played at the top two spots this year compiling a 9-4 dual-match record to go with a 12-4 overall record. Jaedan Brown comes in at No. 105 in singles and carries a 15-2 overall singles record and a 13-1 mark in dual matches. Gala Mesochoritou is a perfect 15-0 in singles this season, with a 12-0 record in dual matches. Merri Kelly is 6-2 overall in singles, with a 3-2 record in dual matches after picking up a win against Purdue (April 3).

• The ITA released two sets of rankings this week, the computer rankings the coaches poll. U-M came in at No. 19 in the computer version and No. 14 in the coaches poll. In addition, Michigan moved up three spots to No. 10 in the USTA rankings. There were no new singles or doubles rankings released this week, meaning Kari Miller (No. 43) and Jaedan Brown (No. 105) are ranked Wolverines, with Brown teaming up with Chiara Lommer as the No. 36-ranked doubles pair.

• Graduate student Chiara Lommer became the 10th Wolverine in program history to reach 100 career wins, featuring a 103-45 record during her time at Michigan to rank ninth all-time. The lefty also is 13th historically at Michigan with a .696 singles winning percentage.

• During conference action, U-M has outscored its opponents 74-21 in 14 matches. Michigan has a pair of shutouts, blanking Rutgers (7-0) and Illinois (4-0). The Wolverines are 64-17 in singles play against Big Ten teams so far this season, with Gala Mesochoritou and Jaedan Brown each leading the way with 12 wins apiece.

Last Time Out

The Wolverines picked up a 6-1 win over Purdue (April 3), winning the doubles point and getting singles wins from Kari Miller, Chiara Lommer, Jaedan Brown, Gala Mesochoritou and Merri Kelly.

Up Next

Sunday, April 18 -- vs. Michigan State (Varsity Tennis Center), 2 p.m.