The UW women’s tennis team (7-8, 0-2) fell 5-2 to the Indiana Hoosiers Saturday, extending their conference losing streak to two games.
“It was disappointing,” said head coach Patti Henderson. “We had them. We had four first sets. We had what we needed. IU tried to hang in there and make us beat ourselves, and we did. That is the biggest thing we have to learn from this match.”
After sitting out all year with a wrist injury, freshman Caitlin Burke made her long-awaited collegiate debut. Burke played alongside Teresa Gonzaga at the No. 2 spot in doubles and filled the No. 6 slot in singles.
“It feels really great to be playing again,” Burke said. “My wrist is feeling better, and I think we have a really strong lineup for the rest of the season.”
Burke went undefeated on the day, posting victories in doubles and singles. Burke and Gonzaga took down Indiana’s Martina Grimm and Laura McGaffigan 8-4 in the No. 2 doubles match and Burked topped Grimm in singles, 6-2, 6-2.
“With Burke never playing one iota of collegiate tennis, you can’t know (how she will play) going into the match, but she played well,” Henderson said. “I’m sure she felt good being out there too. She really brings a lot to a match besides her game.”
Despite Burke’s success, the rest of the Wisconsin team could not overcome an overpowering Indiana effort. The Badgers’ No. 1 and No. 3 doubles teams each went down 8-4, and UW dropped four of six singles matches.
Burke and Shana McElroy earned Wisconsin’s only points of the day, as McElroy topped Indiana’s Linda Tran 6-2, 6-3 in the No. 2 singles match.
Wisconsin came out strong in singles play, as four Badgers won the first set of their matches. Only two, however, were able to translate their early success into victories.
No. 58 Katie McGaffigan dropped a marathon second set 7-6 (5) and fell 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-1 to No. 39 Dora Vastag. UW’s Kaylan Caiti met a similar fate, dropping the final two sets after winning the first set 6-4. Playing against McGaffigan’s sister, Laura McGaffigan, Caiti lost 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
-compiled from staff reports
