Riding high in the midst of a successful season, the Wisconsin women's tennis team found itself in State College, Pa., one year ago this weekend.
Between the time that a closely-contested doubles point had begun and the time that players had taken to the singles court, dusk had beset the Penn State campus, the temperature had dropped rapidly, and creeping shadows claimed the six courts. The then-No. 35 Badgers fought the elements, eking out a 4-3 victory over the unranked Nittany Lions.
Two days later, things took a turn for the worse when Wisconsin took to Bloomington, Ind., and dropped a 5-2 match to the Hoosiers on the heels of a marathon doubles point.
This weekend, the Badgers will have an opportunity to avenge that tumultuous road trip of a year ago, as they play host to the same two teams at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium with 11:00 AM matches Saturday and Sunday.
"We just didn't perform our best [at Indiana last year]. I definitely remember it," sophomore Chelsea Nusslock said. "I think that our team can do well against them [this year]. We have the skills."
Ironically, it was this duo of matches last April that gave Caitlin Burke her first exposure as the Badgers' top flight singles player, when she briefly eclipsed Katie McGaffigan on the roster before settling back into her traditional second slot following a pair of tough losses in Penn State and Indiana.
This year, Burke is the team's undisputed ace, but will be forced to spend this weekend on the sidelines as she continues to fight a rib injury sustained during the Badgers' Feb. 26 dual in South Bend, Ind.
However, The Badger Herald has learned from sources familiar with the situation that Burke is expected to return to play next week when Wisconsin hits the road to take on Iowa and Minnesota.
Meanwhile, the Badgers will see a tough Penn State squad Saturday, as the Nittany Lions look to redeem themselves after a 7-0 loss at the hands of Purdue last weekend. The Boilermakers' victory snapped a three-game win streak for the Penn State team.
Sunday, Wisconsin will face one of the Big Ten's toughest teams in the No. 26 Hoosiers who, most recently, claimed a series of 5-2 victories over both Illinois and Purdue the weekend of Mar. 26.
"I know that [Indiana] is a very strong and deep team," sophomore Morgan Tuttle said. "They're strong competitors both mentally and physically."
The Badgers, meanwhile, return to Madison for a brief homestand after a duo of losses at the hands of Michigan and Michigan State last weekend. The Wolverines claimed a 7-0 shutout of Wisconsin and the Spartans won 5-2 with only Nusslock and Tuttle emerging victorious in their singles matches.
"That gives me the confidence and momentum just to know that I can get a Big Ten win," Tuttle said. "So hopefully I can build on last weekend and get another win or two."
