May 24, 2008

TULSA, Okla. -- Northwestern's season full of broken records and months of domination as the No. 1 team in the country has come to an end. Maria Mosolova (Moscow, Russia/No. 204), the lone 'Cat remaining in contention for a national crown, fell in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA singles championship Saturday.

Despite the loss, Mosolova should be nothing short of proud for the accomplishments during her freshman campaign in 2007-08. The nation's fifth-ranked player finishes the season an impressive 41-6 overall, including 23-3 in dual match play. Her efforts were recognized as she was named the ITA National Player to Watch and Midwest Regional Player of the Year. Mosolova's undefeated conference performance earned her Big Ten Player and Freshman of the Year. She was one of four Wildcats selected to the All-Big Ten team.

No. 4 Maria Mosolova vs. Zuzana Zemenova (Baylor)
Mosolova jumped out to an early 3-1 lead in the first set Saturday before Zemenova found a seemingly unstoppable rhythm. After dropping the first set 4-6, Mosolova found herself in a tough 0-3 second set hole. She fought her way back to within one game, but the defecit proved to be too much to overcome. Mosolova ultimately fell in straight sets, 4-6, 4-6, ending her run at the singles title. Zemenova won the 2005 NCAA singles crown.

Below is a look at Mosolova's road toward the singles title.

First Round - Mosolova def. Kelcy McKenna (Arizona State), 4-6, 6-2, 6-0.
Second Round - Mosolova def. Chisako Sugiyama (Michigan), 6-3, 6-2.
Third Round - Mosolova def. Katrina Zheltova (Sacramento State), 6-4, 6-2.
Quarterfinals - Zuzana Zemenova def. Mosolova, 4-6, 4-6.

The NCAA singles and doubles championships are being held at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma, May 21-26. For continuing tournament coverage including live stats, video, brackets and more, please visit Tulsa's official championships homepage.