Thursday, May 17
Winston-Salem, N.C.
8 a.m.
Northwestern
0
vs
4
Duke
Northwestern Falls to Duke in NCAA Round of 16
5/17/2018 11:21:00 AM | Women's Tennis
LISTEN: Coach Pollard's Post-Match Comments
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Northwestern saw its season come to a close Thursday morning, falling to third-seeded Duke, 4-0, in the round of 16 at the NCAA Women's Tennis Championship on the campus of Wake Forest University.
NU's terrific season comes to an end with a 23-6 record while Duke (26-3) advances to Saturday's quarterfinal round where it will face the winner of the match between Texas and Texas Tech.
"I thought our seniors did an outstanding job all year," Northwestern head coach Claire Pollard said. "They really led the way and were very determined to win a Big Ten championship, very determined to get us back into the hunt for a national championship. I'm really proud of that leadership, and what those seniors accomplished this season to help us get there.
"I congratulate Duke, I thought they played a great match today. We had a great season. It was just a disappointing loss today."
Rainy conditions forced the match to be played indoors. Duke took the early lead by claiming the doubles point. The result snapped a string of 16 straight matches in which the Wildcats had captured the doubles point dating back to a March 9 contest against Georgia Tech.
All three matches were tightly contested. The Blue Devils earned a 6-4 win from Meible Chi and Hannah Zhao at No. 3. With the match tied, 5-5, at No. 2, Duke got the deciding victory at No. 1 in a battle of top-10 teams as ninth-ranked Ellyse Hamlin and Kaitlyn McCarthy got past fourth-ranked Erin Larner and Maddie Lipp, 6-4.
Despite losing the doubles point, the 14th-seeded Northwestern could take solace in the fact that it had come back to win the match in each of the previous three times that it had fallen in doubles this season.
The Wildcats were unable to get off to a good start, though, as Duke took the first set in all six matches. The Blue Devils were able to close out straight-sets wins at Nos. 6 and 2 to go up 3-0 in the match.
Northwestern fared much better in the second set of the remaining matches with Larner taking her second set from sixth-ranked Samantha Harris, 6-2, at No. 1 to force a decisive third. At No. 3, Lipp was able to force a third set of her own against Kaitlyn McCarthy.
The Wildcats needed to push things to a third set in two other matches to remain alive. Byrne was a game away from doing so at No. 4 before Hannah Zhao managed to close things out with a narrow 6-4, 7-5 victory at No. 6.
Larner will represent Northwestern in the NCAA Singles Championship beginning next Wednesday while also pairing with Lipp in the NCAA Doubles Championship.
Duke 4, Northwestern 0
Doubles
1. #9 Ellyse Hamlin and Kaitlyn McCarthy (DU) def. #4 Erin Larner/Maddie Lipp (NU) 6-4
2. #37 Alex Chatt/Lee Or (NU) vs. #6 Samantha Harris/Kelly Chen (DU) 5-5 (unfinished)
3. Meible Chi/Hannah Zhao (DU) def. Julie Byrne/Rheeya Doshi (NU) 6-4
Order of finish: 3, 1*
Singles
1. 38 Erin Larner (NU) vs. #6 Samantha Harris (DU) 3-6, 6-2, 1-2 (unfinished)
2. #55 Meible Chi (DU) def. #117 Lee Or (NU) 6-1, 6-4
3. #78 Maddie Lipp (NU) vs. #116 Kaitlyn McCarthy (DU) 3-6, 6-3 (unfinished)
4. Julie Byrne (NU) vs. #28 Kelly Chen (DU) 5-7, 5-3 (unfinished)
5. #84 Ellyse Hamlin (DU) def. Alex Chatt (NU) 6-3, 6-0
6. Hannah Zhao (DU) def. Rheeya Doshi (NU) 6-4, 7-5
Order of finish: 5, 2, 6*
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Northwestern saw its season come to a close Thursday morning, falling to third-seeded Duke, 4-0, in the round of 16 at the NCAA Women's Tennis Championship on the campus of Wake Forest University.
NU's terrific season comes to an end with a 23-6 record while Duke (26-3) advances to Saturday's quarterfinal round where it will face the winner of the match between Texas and Texas Tech.
"I thought our seniors did an outstanding job all year," Northwestern head coach Claire Pollard said. "They really led the way and were very determined to win a Big Ten championship, very determined to get us back into the hunt for a national championship. I'm really proud of that leadership, and what those seniors accomplished this season to help us get there.
"I congratulate Duke, I thought they played a great match today. We had a great season. It was just a disappointing loss today."
Rainy conditions forced the match to be played indoors. Duke took the early lead by claiming the doubles point. The result snapped a string of 16 straight matches in which the Wildcats had captured the doubles point dating back to a March 9 contest against Georgia Tech.
All three matches were tightly contested. The Blue Devils earned a 6-4 win from Meible Chi and Hannah Zhao at No. 3. With the match tied, 5-5, at No. 2, Duke got the deciding victory at No. 1 in a battle of top-10 teams as ninth-ranked Ellyse Hamlin and Kaitlyn McCarthy got past fourth-ranked Erin Larner and Maddie Lipp, 6-4.
Despite losing the doubles point, the 14th-seeded Northwestern could take solace in the fact that it had come back to win the match in each of the previous three times that it had fallen in doubles this season.
The Wildcats were unable to get off to a good start, though, as Duke took the first set in all six matches. The Blue Devils were able to close out straight-sets wins at Nos. 6 and 2 to go up 3-0 in the match.
Northwestern fared much better in the second set of the remaining matches with Larner taking her second set from sixth-ranked Samantha Harris, 6-2, at No. 1 to force a decisive third. At No. 3, Lipp was able to force a third set of her own against Kaitlyn McCarthy.
The Wildcats needed to push things to a third set in two other matches to remain alive. Byrne was a game away from doing so at No. 4 before Hannah Zhao managed to close things out with a narrow 6-4, 7-5 victory at No. 6.
Larner will represent Northwestern in the NCAA Singles Championship beginning next Wednesday while also pairing with Lipp in the NCAA Doubles Championship.
Duke 4, Northwestern 0
Doubles
1. #9 Ellyse Hamlin and Kaitlyn McCarthy (DU) def. #4 Erin Larner/Maddie Lipp (NU) 6-4
2. #37 Alex Chatt/Lee Or (NU) vs. #6 Samantha Harris/Kelly Chen (DU) 5-5 (unfinished)
3. Meible Chi/Hannah Zhao (DU) def. Julie Byrne/Rheeya Doshi (NU) 6-4
Order of finish: 3, 1*
Singles
1. 38 Erin Larner (NU) vs. #6 Samantha Harris (DU) 3-6, 6-2, 1-2 (unfinished)
2. #55 Meible Chi (DU) def. #117 Lee Or (NU) 6-1, 6-4
3. #78 Maddie Lipp (NU) vs. #116 Kaitlyn McCarthy (DU) 3-6, 6-3 (unfinished)
4. Julie Byrne (NU) vs. #28 Kelly Chen (DU) 5-7, 5-3 (unfinished)
5. #84 Ellyse Hamlin (DU) def. Alex Chatt (NU) 6-3, 6-0
6. Hannah Zhao (DU) def. Rheeya Doshi (NU) 6-4, 7-5
Order of finish: 5, 2, 6*
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Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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