WACONIA, Minn. – After nearly two weeks off, the University of Northwestern Women's Tennis team returned to action Friday, hoping to extend its winning streak to seven despite the long layoff. To do so, the Eagles would need to defeat the Crown College Polars in their first UMAC contest of the season. Northwestern, as it turned out, showed no signs of rust, cruising to a nearly flawless 9-0 sweep to improve to 10-5 in 2024.
Doubles play began with a bang as
Elise Jarchow (Luverne, Minn./Luverne) and
Analise Marquardt (Parkers Prairie, Minn./Parkers Prairie) rolled to an 8-0 sweep in the #2 slot. The #1 team of
Annie Orvis (Rochester, Minn/Schaeffer Academy) and
Abby Johnson (Zimmerman, Minn./Homeschool), as well as the #3 team of
Abigail Ross (Chico, Calif./Central) and
Rayna Baumgarn (Holmen, Wis./Holmen), were not far away from earning sweeps themselves, as both squads won 8-1.
Singles matches brought about similar dominance from the preseason favorites in the UMAC. Jarchow continued her flawless day with a 6-0, 6-0 win at #3 singles, while her doubles partner, Marquardt, followed suit with a 6-1, 6-0 win in the #4 spot. Orvis was next off the court, taking home a 6-1, 6-0 win at #1 singles, while Baumgarn earned a 6-0, 6-1 win at #6. Johnson matched Jarchow's singles effort with a 6-0, 6-0 sweep in the #2 slot, then Ross finished off the sweep with a convincing 6-1, 6-1 victory at #5 singles.
Northwestern will look to stay hot Saturday as it dips back into non-conference play. The Eagles will head to La Crosse, Wisconsin for a pair of matches with Wartburg (1:00 PM) and UW-La Crosse (4:00 PM).
