Northwestern University Athletics
Saturday, April 4
Evanston, Ill.
12 p.m. CT
Northwestern
4
vs
1
Michigan State
Photo by: Mary Grace Grabill/Northwestern Athletics
Wildcats Knock Off Michigan State to Open Homestand
4/5/2026 7:26:00 PM | Women's Tennis
EVANSTON, Ill. — No. 59 Northwestern split its weekend results, defeating No. 75 Michigan State 4-1 on Saturday afternoon before dropping Sunday afternoon's bout with No. 17 Michigan.
After falling to the Spartans (10-10, 3-7 Big Ten) last season, the Wildcats (12-8, 5-4 Big Ten) avenged their loss with Saturday's triumph. Head Coach Claire Pollard credited this to the young team's growth from last season.
"I do think we're grittier [than last season]," Pollard said. "I do think we're more competitive. I do think we're a bit more mentally tough, especially those who were with us last year. We had a lot of bumps and bruises. I think we're turning that around, and that's why I think we were able to win that match."
Northwestern opened its weekend by winning the doubles point. Sophomore Erica Jessel and first-year Margot Phanthala, the No. 42 doubles team nationally, were first to finish, securing a 6-3 win over Matilde Morias and Ellie Blackford, the No. 43 doubles team in the country, at the No. 1 position. After the Wildcats fell at No. 2 doubles, junior Autumn Rabjohns and sophomore Mika Dagan Fruchtman registered a 6-4 victory at the No. 3 slot.
The bottom half of Northwestern's singles lineup accounted for its three singles wins. First-year Marelie Raath was first to finish, recording a 6-3, 6-3 victory at No. 6 singles. Jessel followed suit, prevailing 7-5, 6-2 at the No. 5 spot.
Jessel, who moved to 7-1 in singles on the season, started the season out of the Wildcats' singles lineup. However, over the course of the season, she has moved into the lineup, appearing in six of the last eight matches.
"She handled being out well," Pollard said. "She said that she felt like it motivated her, and she was eager to prove that it was a bad decision by me."
Though Northwestern fell at No. 1, it would clinch the match fewer than two minutes later. Sophomore Mika Dagan Fruchtman, playing at the No. 4 position, triumphed 6-4, 6-3 to secure the match.
Pollard said that Dagan Fruchtman, who tabbed her 12th singles win of the season, has elevated her play leaps and bounds compared to last season.
"She's listened really well," Pollard said. "I give her a lot of credit. Last year was hard and to some degree must have been humbling — to start at [No.] 1, get moved down, and eventually not be in. And how do you respond to that? She's responded fantastically."
Against the conference-leading Wolverines (12-6, 9-1 Big Ten) a day later, the Wildcats fell 4-1.
Though it dropped the No. 1 doubles match, Northwestern still took the doubles point. Raath and junior Neena Feldman moved to 5-1 together with a 6-3 victory at the No. 2 slot, while Rabjohns and Dagan Fruchtman tabbed their second win of the weekend with a 6-4 result at the No. 3 position, defeating the No. 76 duo in the nation in Piper Charney & Emily Sartz-Lunde.
Michigan was the highest-ranked team the Wildcats have won the doubles point against this season.
"We were really aggressive at [No.] 2," Pollard said. "We played with a lot of energy and a lot of firepower. I think we played really good doubles. At [No.] 3, we're just tricky and awkward and annoying, probably."
Northwestern fell in four singles matches before it could claim a point, but Phanthala and Raath were in position to win their matches. At No. 1 singles, Phanthala, the No. 89 singles player nationally, led Charney, the No. 6 singles player nationally, 6-4, 3-6, 3-2 when the match concluded. Raath, appearing at the No. 6 slot, took her first set 6-2 and was amid a third set when her match went unfinished.
The Wildcats conclude their five-match homestand next weekend, when they host No. 12 USC on Friday, April 10, at 4:30 p.m. CT, which will be followed by a doubleheader on Sunday, April 12, against No. 18 UCLA at noon CT and Chicago State at 5 p.m. CT.
After falling to the Spartans (10-10, 3-7 Big Ten) last season, the Wildcats (12-8, 5-4 Big Ten) avenged their loss with Saturday's triumph. Head Coach Claire Pollard credited this to the young team's growth from last season.
"I do think we're grittier [than last season]," Pollard said. "I do think we're more competitive. I do think we're a bit more mentally tough, especially those who were with us last year. We had a lot of bumps and bruises. I think we're turning that around, and that's why I think we were able to win that match."
Northwestern opened its weekend by winning the doubles point. Sophomore Erica Jessel and first-year Margot Phanthala, the No. 42 doubles team nationally, were first to finish, securing a 6-3 win over Matilde Morias and Ellie Blackford, the No. 43 doubles team in the country, at the No. 1 position. After the Wildcats fell at No. 2 doubles, junior Autumn Rabjohns and sophomore Mika Dagan Fruchtman registered a 6-4 victory at the No. 3 slot.
The bottom half of Northwestern's singles lineup accounted for its three singles wins. First-year Marelie Raath was first to finish, recording a 6-3, 6-3 victory at No. 6 singles. Jessel followed suit, prevailing 7-5, 6-2 at the No. 5 spot.
Jessel, who moved to 7-1 in singles on the season, started the season out of the Wildcats' singles lineup. However, over the course of the season, she has moved into the lineup, appearing in six of the last eight matches.
"She handled being out well," Pollard said. "She said that she felt like it motivated her, and she was eager to prove that it was a bad decision by me."
Though Northwestern fell at No. 1, it would clinch the match fewer than two minutes later. Sophomore Mika Dagan Fruchtman, playing at the No. 4 position, triumphed 6-4, 6-3 to secure the match.
Pollard said that Dagan Fruchtman, who tabbed her 12th singles win of the season, has elevated her play leaps and bounds compared to last season.
"She's listened really well," Pollard said. "I give her a lot of credit. Last year was hard and to some degree must have been humbling — to start at [No.] 1, get moved down, and eventually not be in. And how do you respond to that? She's responded fantastically."
Against the conference-leading Wolverines (12-6, 9-1 Big Ten) a day later, the Wildcats fell 4-1.
Though it dropped the No. 1 doubles match, Northwestern still took the doubles point. Raath and junior Neena Feldman moved to 5-1 together with a 6-3 victory at the No. 2 slot, while Rabjohns and Dagan Fruchtman tabbed their second win of the weekend with a 6-4 result at the No. 3 position, defeating the No. 76 duo in the nation in Piper Charney & Emily Sartz-Lunde.
Michigan was the highest-ranked team the Wildcats have won the doubles point against this season.
"We were really aggressive at [No.] 2," Pollard said. "We played with a lot of energy and a lot of firepower. I think we played really good doubles. At [No.] 3, we're just tricky and awkward and annoying, probably."
Northwestern fell in four singles matches before it could claim a point, but Phanthala and Raath were in position to win their matches. At No. 1 singles, Phanthala, the No. 89 singles player nationally, led Charney, the No. 6 singles player nationally, 6-4, 3-6, 3-2 when the match concluded. Raath, appearing at the No. 6 slot, took her first set 6-2 and was amid a third set when her match went unfinished.
The Wildcats conclude their five-match homestand next weekend, when they host No. 12 USC on Friday, April 10, at 4:30 p.m. CT, which will be followed by a doubleheader on Sunday, April 12, against No. 18 UCLA at noon CT and Chicago State at 5 p.m. CT.
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
1
Ellie Blackford/ Matilde Morais (43/-) [MSU-W]
3
6
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,2,3
#1 Singles Match
123
Amara Brahmbhatt / 0 [MSU-W]
366
643
#2 Singles Match
1234
Ellie Blackford / 0 [MSU-W]
6410
164UF
#3 Singles Match
1234
Matilde Morais / 0 [MSU-W]
6530
270UF
#4 Singles Match
12
Hanna Tsitavets / 0 [MSU-W]
43
66
#5 Singles Match
12
Nina Plihal / 0 [MSU-W]
52
76
#6 Singles Match
12
Issey Purser / 0 [MSU-W]
33
66
Order of Finish:
6,5,1,4
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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