MADISON, Wis. – No. 30 Wisconsin made a statement at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium on Friday night. The Badgers knocked off No. 19 Northwestern, 4-2, posting their first top-20 win since 2010.
"This is a huge win," head coach
Danny Westerman said excitedly. "Our guys are playing at a level where they expect to win these matches. It feels amazing but this is our expectation – to compete with the top teams in the conference and the top teams in the nation. This is validation for the work these players are putting in. We don't want to be outworked as players and we don't want to be outworked as coaches."
"Doubles were tremendous and every player had a role. It was total team performance. To point out someone individually is a disservice. All these guys deserve credit for this win. Great match, I'm proud of all these guys."
No stranger to fast starts and early leads, the Badgers garnered the doubles point for the 15
th consecutive time, remaining undefeated in the spring.
At the No. 2 spot, junior
Lamar Remy and freshman
Chase Colton continued their stifling play against the Northwestern duo of Ben Vandixhorn and Konrad Zieba. The pair cruised to a 6-4 win, their 13
th win of the dual season. Remy and Colton hold a team-best 13-2 record in doubles play.
Senior
John Zordani and sophomore
Osgar O'Hoisin finished moments later, earning a win at the No. 3 spot over Michael Lorenzini and Chris Ephron, 6-4. The Badger tandem also holds an impressive record in the spring, accumulating a 12-3 record.
Wisconsin fell behind quickly in the singles category after O'Hoisin dropped his match at the No. 3 spot to formidable opponent Dominik Stary, 6-4, 6-2.
But the Badgers have picked up their teammates time and time again this season and Friday was no different. The Badgers swarmed the Wildcats to three-straight wins thanks to efforts from freshman
Daniel Soyfer, Carranza, and Dodridge.
A win is imminent when your mom travels half the globe to watch you play. With his mom willing him on in the stands, Carranza, a native of Montequinto, Spain, struck first for the Badgers in the singles category. The junior ran the show at the No. 4 spot, claiming a straight-set win over Northwestern's Ben Vandixhorn, 6-3, 6-4. Carranza improves to 9-4 in the dual season.
Moments after the conclusion of Carranza's match, a very recognizable victory roar was heard from Soyfer – something that has rang out quite a few times this season. The freshman just keeps on winning, this time knocking off Michael Lorenzini at the No. 6 position, 6-2, 7-6. Soyfer has been dominant in his first campaign with the Badgers, showcasing a 20-7 overall record and a team-best 11-2 mark in the spring season.
Dodridge came through for the Badgers with his second dual-match clinching win of the season. Dodridge hit great shot after great shot barely giving the No. 53 ranked Konrad Zieba a chance to compete. The junior dominated Zieba to a 6-2, 6-2 win, his first win over a ranked opponent this season. Dodridge moves to 9-5 in the dual season and 17-12 overall.
"We love these guys, we love this program," Westerman continued. "Other sports on campus are getting it done, there's no reason we can't either.
The Badgers have a day off before hitting the courts again on Sunday when they face another Big Ten giant, No. 28 ranked Illinois. The match will take place at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium. Admission is free.
| #1 SINGLES |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Notes |
| #41 Strong Kirchheimer, Northwestern |
6 |
6 |
|
Order of finish: 5 |
| Lamar Remy, Wisconsin |
4 |
4 |
|
|
|
| #2 SINGLES |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Notes |
| #53 Konrad Zieba, Northwestern |
2 |
2 |
|
Order of finish: 4 |
| Josef Dodridge, Wisconsin |
6 |
6 |
|
|
|
| #3 SINGLES |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Notes |
| Dominik Stary, Northwestern |
6 |
6 |
|
Order of finish: 1 |
| Osgar O'Hoisin, Wisconsin |
4 |
2 |
|
|
|
| #4 SINGLES |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Notes |
| Ben Vandixhorn, Northwestern |
3 |
4 |
|
Order of finish: 2 |
| Chema Carranza, Wisconsin |
6 |
6 |
|
|
|
| #5 SINGLES |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Notes |
| Jason Seidman, Northwestern |
7 |
2 |
|
|
| Chase Colton, Wisconsin |
6 |
2 |
|
|
|
| #6 SINGLES |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Notes |
| Michael Lorenzini, Northwestern |
2 |
6 |
|
Order of finish: 3 |
| Daniel Soyfer, Wisconsin |
6 |
7 |
|
|
|
|
|
| #2 DOUBLES |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Notes |
| Ben Vandixhorn/Konrad Zieba, Northwestern |
4 |
|
|
Order of finish: 1 |
| Lamar Remy/Chase Colton, Wisconsin |
6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
