Northwestern headed into the NCAA tournament looking to make some noise in Washington. The ‘Cats had just earned their 24th consecutive tournament bid, but would have had to upset a couple of squads to reach the quarterfinals, the program’s previous high-water mark. Unfortunately, Northwestern didn’t earn the chance to compete with the tenth-seeded Washington Huskies, falling to Princeton in the opening round, 4-1.
The Tigers opened the match by claiming the doubles point with wins at first and third doubles, before capitalizing on the point with a victory at fifth singles, building a quick 2-0 hole. Julie Byrne provided Northwestern with a sliver of hope after delivering a 6-3, 6-3 win at first singles, putting the match back in the balance.