Women’s Tennis: Key to 2015-2016 Success? ‘Be Healthy’

Northwestern lost its first Big Ten conference title in 16 years last season.

Last year, injuries plagued NU, which lost then-sophomore Maddie Lipp for the entire season and suffered from a host of other injuries throughout the winter and spring at one point having only six healthy players of the nine on the roster.

Lipp has returned to full strength, evidenced by her co-singles title and doubles title in the Wildcat Invite over the weekend.

Tennis is as much an individual sport as it is a team game.

Lipp’s return and the loss of only one player to graduation means this year the players are all upperclassmen except one new freshman, Lee Or.

Although incoming freshmen typically arrive with drive, passion for the game and a great amount of skill to succeed, the self-admittedly demanding Pollard said they usually find their freshman season difficult.

Or brings a different attitude than most new players to Pollard’s program a certain aura of seriousness and leadership.

“She brings a maturity, a sophisticated game, a lot of skillful tennis that will just need to be harnessed the right way,” Pollard said.

Missing all last season due to injury, Lipp is on the warpath whenever she takes the court.