Northwestern has only one more match left in the dual season, but its unparalleled success has made this season anything but regular.
And the newest member of the Wildcats, third-ranked Maria Mosolova, has been crucial in bringing the program to new heights.
The Cats (22-1, 9-0 Big Ten), ranked first in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll for seven consecutive weeks, are one win away from achieving a fourth consecutive 10-0 conference record. They have the chance to win their 60th straight Big Ten match when they host Michigan State (12-10, 3-5 Big Ten) at the Combe Tennis Center at 2 p.m. Saturday.
A native of Moscow, the freshman is currently on an eight-match winning streak and is 17-2 in dual singles play. She boasts a 13-2 record at the No. 1 singles spot and is 4-0 at the No. 2 spot this season. She was also ranked first in singles play at the start of the dual season, and is a two-time Big Ten Women's Tennis Athlete of the Week this season.
For Mosolova, tennis started out as just a fun hobby her dad had her pick up so she didn't "waste (her) time sitting in front of the television all day long." But when the club at which she played started forming a group of serious tennis players, the coach told her that she was not good enough to be a part of the group.
"I was so upset that the coach at the first club said that I was not talented enough," Mosolova said. "Since that time, I kind of had motivation to work hard and prove that I can be better than the kids who got into that group."
Her hard work and motivation clearly paid off. She won both the Russian under-16 and under-18 titles, and played on the Russian Fed Cup under-14 and under-16 team. She was also ranked No. 14 in Europe under-14 and No. 41 in the ITF World Junior rankings. Mosolova said her biggest accomplishment was having dinner with the first Russian president, Boris Yeltsin, after becoming one of the top three under-18 players in Russia.
When deciding where to attend college, Mosolova decided to leave her hometown in Russia and play in America. She turned down offers from Duke and Washington to play for NU.
2008 Woodie Awards
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