Anna 
For 26 years, Northwestern head coach Claire Pollard never lost to Iowa. But on Sunday, that streak came to an end as the No. 38 Wildcats (9-7, 2-2 Big Ten) fell 4-3 to the No. 49 Hawkeyes (9-4, 3-1 Big Ten).
“Really disappointing,” Pollard said. “Not a good enough effort. Not good enough execution. Not good enough in any aspect.”
The loss came just two days after Northwestern swept No. 58 Nebraska 4-0, dominating both singles and doubles play.
Friday Win Over Nebraska
The Wildcats started strong against the Cornhuskers (10-5, 0-4 Big Ten), winning the doubles point for the second consecutive match. Graduate student Britany Lau and senior Kiley Rabjohns cruised to a 6-1 win at No. 3 doubles, while freshman Erica Jessel and freshman Mika Dagan Fruchtman fell 6-4 at No. 1.
With the doubles point on the line, senior Sydney Pratt and sophomore Neena Feldman trailed 5-2 at No. 2 doubles but fought back to win 7-5, sealing the early advantage for Northwestern.
The Wildcats carried their momentum into singles, where they dominated the opening sets. Pratt, Lau, and Feldman all won their matches in straight sets, securing a quick victory for Northwestern.
Sunday Loss to Iowa
Against Iowa, Northwestern once again won the first doubles match, as Lau and Rabjohns dominated at No. 3 with a 6-1 win. However, Jessel and Dagan Fruchtman lost 6-2 at No. 1, and Pratt and Feldman dropped four straight games to fall 7-5 at No. 2, giving Iowa the doubles point.
“Doubles needs a lot of work,” Pollard admitted. “Splitting up the teams hasn’t helped, and I might need to revisit it again.”
In singles, Feldman was unavailable due to illness, forcing sophomore Autumn Rabjohns into the lineup.
Pratt continued her stellar form, winning 6-3, 6-0 to improve to 11-0 this season. Lau lost 6-4, 6-2, while Kiley Rabjohns won 6-4, 6-1 to tie the match at 2-2. Autumn Rabjohns then delivered a 6-1, 7-6(5) victory in her first match since February, but Dagan Fruchtman fell in three sets.
With the match tied 3-3, Jessel had a chance to clinch the win but ultimately lost 7-5, 1-6, 6-2 after initially leading 5-1 in the first set.
Looking Ahead
The loss marks just the second time in Pollard’s tenure that Northwestern has started Big Ten play 2-2. The only other instance was in 2023, the season the Wildcats missed the NCAA tournament.
“I never expect to go 2-2,” Pollard said. “We need to figure out our doubles lineup and learn how to compete better. Everyone has to pull their weight.”
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