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By Pete Conrad, Staff Writer 12:47 AM Wednesday, May 5, 2010

OXFORD — The Miami University women’s tennis team will make its second-ever trip to the NCAA tournament next week, and already the RedHawks seem stuck in a rut.

Not that they mind.

For the second straight year the RedHawks (18-6) drew the Northwestern University Wildcats (21-6), the NCAA’s No. 6 overall seed, as their opponent in the first round, to be held Friday, May 14, at Northwestern.

The RedHawks clinched their NCAA berth by winning their second straight Mid-American Conference tournament last week with convincing wins over Ball State, Buffalo and Western Michigan.

Last year Miami drew Northwestern in the first round when the Wildcats were the No. 1 team in the nation, and the RedHawks lost 4-0. This year Northwestern’s top three singles players are ranked among the nation’s top 125 players.

Even so, the RedHawks are not spooked about facing Wildcats again.

“A lot of us had really close matches and we’re excited about going back,” said Miami sophomore Stephanie Danesis, who has won four straight matches at No. 2 singles, including a 6-0, 6-0 victory in the MAC tournament finals against Western Michigan.

“We know those players now,” Danesis said, “and we’re better prepared to face them. But no matter who we’re playing, we’ve been there (the NCAA) before and we feel like we know what it takes.”

Miami head coach Ricardo “Ricky” Rosas agreed.

“This year we know what to expect. It won’t be a shock to us,” he said, adding that good competition “brings out the best in us.”

However, one of the RedHawks who played well against Northwestern last year, senior Brintney Larson, is out with a wrist injury that will require surgery.

Last April Larson, at No. 5 singles, lost her first set 6-1 to Nazlie Ghazal, but came back to win the second set 6-2. The team match ended before Larson and Ghazal could play the third set.

“Obviously, I’m very sad because Brintney is a good player and it’ll be difficult as her coach not to see her there on the court,” Rosas said. “But she’ll be there supporting the team.”

There could be a couple interesting matchups in individual matches.

Junior Anastasia Dracheva is 17-6 at No. 1 singles for Miami and Northwestern junior Maria Mosolova, the nation’s 13th-ranked player, is 19-6 at No. 1 singles. Both are from Moscow, Russia.

At No. 3 singles, Miami has junior Megan Martzolf, who is 23-0 this season, and Northwestern has senior Lauren Lui, who is 19-4 and ranked No. 116.