SPORTS
UW tennis prepares to face off with Hawkeyes, Gophers
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Also by Anne Strong:
- Women's tennis squad ready for road matches with Michigan State, Michigan (April 23, 2004)
- UW tennis prepares to face off with Hawkeyes, Gophers (April 9, 2004)
- Bortz rallies on the tennis court (March 3, 2004)
- Volleyball prepares to dance with Wildcats (December 4, 2003)
- Bladow enjoying success in first season (November 18, 2003)
Related Stories:
- UW volleyball prepares for weekend (October 10, 2003)
- Badgers look to gain separation in Big Ten race (October 31, 2003)
- UW hosts troubled squads (October 8, 2004)
- UW hunting for 1st conference win (March 4, 2005)
- UW still hunting 1st Big Ten victory (April 8, 2005)
by Anne Strong
Friday, April 9, 2004
The Badger women’s tennis team will host the No. 32 Iowa Hawkeyes and the Minnesota Golden Gophers this weekend. With a record of 8-9 overall and 1-3 in conference play, the Badgers are coming off a victory over the No. 52 Boilermakers of Purdue from last weekend. This victory has brought the Badgers back into the national rankings at No. 66.
“Our national ranking is a reflection of our schedule and the fact that we have not lost to anyone outside the top 35, and so the win over the Boilermakers helped put us back in contention,” Badger head coach Patti Henderson said. “If we get on a roll this weekend, our ranking will hopefully improve.”
The beginning of the conference schedule proved to be a tough one for the Badgers, but after their recent victory, the players hope to use their momentum against the Hawkeyes and the Gophers.
“We feel pretty good about the past weekend,” said Henderson of her team’s victory over the Boilermakers. “At the beginning of the conference we had to play based off our ranking, and the toughest part of the season was at the beginning. All the teams in the conference have proven that they are competitive and ready to play, but we have played better each successive match.”
As the individual Badger players won’t know who they will match up with until 30 minutes before the match, practice this week hasn’t been focused on specific opponents but on the players’ own skills. This weekend the Badgers will focus on executing the aspects of the game that they can control and making their opponents fight for each point.
“Each day we practice, we are trying to make ourselves better by working on our weaknesses,” Henderson said. “It has been proven in the conference that anyone can beat anyone.”
The Badgers’ No. 1 doubles pairing of juniors Lindsay Martin and Katie McGaffigan also received a national ranking of No. 58 in the most recent polls. The recent return of freshman Kaylan Caiati to the lineup helped the Badgers in their recent victory, and she will be a factor this weekend as well. The No. 2 doubles position belongs to freshman Nicole Beck and senior Teresa Gonzaga, while the No. 3 doubles spot will be senior Shana McElroy and Caiati.
At No. 1, singles will be McGaffigan followed by McElroy, then Martin at the No. 3 position.
The Iowa Hawkeyes improved their record to 11-4 overall and 4-1 after defeating No. 20 Michigan and Michigan State last weekend. The Hawkeyes’ top doubles partners, Meg Racette and Hillary Mintz, defeated national No. 30 Wolverine pair Michelle DeCosta and Kara Delicata.
Racette will also be at the No. 1 singles spot, and she has proven to be a tough competitor.
The Gophers have claimed the last position in Big Ten standings, due to a rough start in the conference with a record of 0-4 after a recent loss to Michigan State. The Badgers will have to watch out for top Minnesota duo Angela Buergis and Nischela Reddy, who have a record of 2-2 in the conference. These two players also hold the top two positions for singles.
“It is all about being ready in every match we go into; there are no gimmes [in the conference],” said Henderson. “We need to take the confidence where we can get it and gain momentum off of the wins. We feel pretty good about this weekend, but we cannot take any team lightly.”
This weekend, the Badgers will hope to continue their winning streak and improve their national ranking.
