College Tennis News - Seventh-Ranked Wildcats Take Down Hawkeyes, 5-2

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Northwestern's seventh-ranked women's tennis team improved to 2-0 in Big Ten play on Friday as it rolled to a 5-2 win over Iowa at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex.

The Wildcats dominated doubles play to jump out to the early advantage. At No. 3, the pairing of Belinda Niu and Kate Turvy easily defeated Caitlin Hindmarsh and Shelby Talcott, 8-2. The eighth-ranked team of Linda Abu Mushrefova and Nida Hamilton clinched the doubles point for the Wildcats with an 8-3 win over Ruth Seaborne and Morven McCulloch at No. 1.

Freshman Alicia Barnett increased NU's lead to 2-0 as she made quick work of Katie Zordani, posting a 6-0, 6-1 triumph at No. 5 singles for her fifth-consecutive victory.

Brittany Wowchuk moved Northwestern to within one victory of the match win when she took down Harazin 6-2, 7-5 at No. 4. Abu Mushrefova clinched the match at No. 6 with yet another straight-set win, defeating Hindmarsh 6-3, 6-2.

The Wildcats got a fourth-consecutive straight-set win when Niu, ranked 96th, won her match at No. 3 6-4, 6-4 over Morven McCulloch.

Northwestern returns to action at noon Sunday as it takes on No. 10 Nebraska in Lincoln, Neb., in a battle of top-10 teams.

#7 Northwestern 5, Iowa 2
Singles
!. Ruth Seaborne (IOWA) def. #55 Kate Turvy (NU) 7-6, 3-6, 13-11
2. Shelby Talcott (IOWA) def. Veronica Corning (NU) 6-3, 7-6
3. #96 Belinda Niu (NU) def. Morven McCulloch (IOWA) 6-4, 6-4
4. Brittany Wowchuk (NU) def. Christina Harazin (IOWA) 6-2, 7-5
5. Alicia Barnett (NU) def. Katie Zordani (IOWA) 6-0, 6-1
6. Linda Abu Mushrefova (NU) def. Caitlin Hindmarsh (IOWA) 6-3, 6-2
Order of finish: 5, 4, 6, 3*, 2, 1

Doubles
1. #8 Nida Hamilton / Linda Abu Mushrefova (NU) def. Ruth Seaborne / Morven McCulloch (IOWA) 8-3
2. Alicia Barnett / Veronica Corning (NU) def. Christina Harazin / Katie Zordani (IOWA) 7-3
3. Belinda Niu / Kate Turvy (NU) def. Caitlin Hindmarsh / Shelby Talcott (IOWA) 8-2
Order of finish: 3, 1*