California native and new star of the UW women’s tennis team, junior Liz Carpenter, developed her game on the hard-surfaced courts of California and brought it to Wisconsin.

"California kids tend to be more aggressive because they grew up on fast courts," head Coach Brian Fleishman said. "They're just taught at an early age out there they need to be aggressive to win matches."

Carpenter brought that aggression and passion with her as she crossed the country en route to her new home in Madison. Adjusting from the outdoor style of play, she has been able to improve consistently and has embraced her role as the team’s No. 1 singles player.

"I've gotten used to [playing indoors] over the past three years," Carpenter said. "I love it, I love playing indoors [in Madison]."

The No. 1 singles spot, a position previously held by Badger alumnus Caitlin Burke, is one that Carpenter is excited to be in, but she insists that the squad’s success doesn’t rest solely with her.

"It's a team effort. Tennis is a very individual sport, but when you get into the college scene, you have to count on everyone," Carpenter said. "I do just as much as everyone else on the team."

Carpenter acknowledges Burke's contributions to the team over the years, but feels as though she is an entirely different player than the former star.

"I don't feel like I need to replace anyone," Carpenter said. "I feel like I'm just playing whatever position I'm playing."

Standing as the team’s top player is no easy rank to earn, but through improvements and success on the courts, Carpenter has done it. Her continued success, according to coach Fleishman, will depend on her ability to harness her aggressive style and balance it with the indoor style of play.

"She's got a very aggressive game, [and] the biggest goal for her is to control the aggression." Fleishman said. "If she learns to contain that and control it, she'll be a very dangerous player."

Carpenter acknowledges her game requires other improvements as well.

"I feel like my game is never fully developed [and] there is always room to improve, especially with the kind of game I have. I really pursue every opportunity I can," Carpenter said. "Listening to the coaches and what they have to say and little things here and there, I just keep going, keep learning new things."

The coaches appreciate the effort Carpenter brings to the team.

"She takes care of injuries, she works out in the gym, she runs, she does all the special stuff," Fleishman said. "She takes care of everybody."

The task of leading a team and still playing at such a high level may seem overwhelming, but Carpenter takes it in stride. Besides being a star performer on the court, it is her efforts off the court that earn her teammates' respect.

"When I was a freshman on the team, I right away could see that she was motivational, always making sure that everyone was comfortable on the team," sophomore teammate Katya Mirnova said. "She encourages during practices and at the tournaments; she's always positive and fights for every point."

"She's a good leader, she leads by example, she tries to help me out organizing teams and different functions, different events," Fleishman said. "She makes sure everybody's there on time, kind of taking attendance, which in a way, she's sort of like a mother goose."

Carpenter, with a full additional year of eligibility left, has plenty of time to reach her goals and achieve success beyond what she's already reached. With her senior year still to come, along with the remainder of this season, Carpenter will have the chance to affect the lives and games of future young stars.

"I will definitely take a lot from her," Mirnova said. "[Especially] her attitude on the court and the way she balances academics and tennis."