As many students unwind after a long day of classes by relaxing in their places of residence, around 120 make their way to the Nielsen Tennis Stadium about twice a week. The environment provides one of relaxation, but it’s paired with physical exercise and friendly competition — a couple of characteristics that can get lost in the bustling schedules of college students.
It’s not the case for the folks that are a part of Badger Club Tennis at the University of Wisconsin, a program that has enjoyed a long, successful stretch of play.
The group is divided into two teams — the Red and White Team. Both programs travel, with the Red Team hitting the road a couple of times more than the White — including competition in the Midwest Sectionals and a Nationals meet.
It’s the camaraderie the program has created though, which has made it special. In a casual conversation with Red Team President Logan Homberg — a senior at UW — he buzzed with excitement at being back at the Nielsen, as he had a lot to be happy about.
It was that past weekend where the Red Team took on numerous universities in a battle for a berth to the Nationals competition down in Rome, Georgia in a month. The top eight teams advance to Nationals, hosted by the United States Tennis Association’s Tennis on Campus branch. This year, the Red Team came out victorious, earning the TOC Midwest Championship title and a national bid.
The Red Team’s future representatives in Georgia consists of nine student-athletes who have continued to put UW on the map when it comes to club tennis.
Alex Sviatoslavsky is a junior at UW and one of the members of the Red Team who will be competing in Georgia between April 4–6. He is also currently the Vice President of the club — taking on an executive role in his third year as a Badger.
For Sviatoslavsky, being a part of this club serves more than having the ability to play the game he loves.
“There’s a strong social aspect to it,” Sviatoslavsky said about the co-ed club. “The team is very close.”
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Hailey Munz is another contributing member of the Red Team, a senior from the Madison area. In addition to being one of their social media coordinators, she helped take down rival University of Michigan on their home court during the Midwest Sectional — paving the way for a trip to Nationals in the upcoming weeks.
Munz provided a similar sentiment about the club’s atmosphere and the social circle the group created for her when she joined, a staple of the college environment.
“I would say that out of all of our tournaments we’ve done, it brings our team together, closer,” Munz said. “I’d say those were some of the best parts of my college experiences was getting to travel, but it was more laid back and we get to do things that are fun outside of tennis.”
The team’s travels are not just limited to the Nielsen Tennis Stadium, as the Red Team has journeyed throughout the nation to compete against fellow universities in weekend tournaments.
While there isn’t a set schedule for matches, the program has hit the road numerous times to compete as a unit. The list includes a couple of trips to Colorado, Arizona, North Carolina, Florida and others, according to Sviatoslavsky and Munz.
High temperatures are key for these matches, Munz said with a smile. It is part of the warm, relaxed foundation that club tennis has built for students at UW. While the competitiveness remains at a high level throughout the makeshift season for the group, the schedule remains flexible.
“You can make club tennis what you want out of it,” Munz said.
It isn’t necessary to play in all of the tournaments or any at all. That factor proves to be part of the appeal for students at the university.
Playing Division 1 tennis differs in that sense, where practices are required and it becomes an individual’s job to perform in the sport. For the club tennis crew though, they personalize everyone’s experience to get the best out of each individual.
“It gives people an option,” Munz said about the club tennis routine. “Whereas if you’re playing at the college level, sometimes you don’t have that option to be that flexible in your schedule.”
The group has one big event every year that encourages team members to show up and that’s to the Badger Classic. The club tennis program hosts the tournament annually, which has proven to be one of the largest of the season, according to Sviatoslavsky.
The round robin competition sets up the Midwest Sectional — which also takes place on the 12 courts of the Nielsen Tennis Stadium. UW continues to excel against its competitors — earning them a spot in the Nationals competition come April.
Location shifts yearly for the tournament, as the nine members of the qualifying Red Team will fly down to Georgia to compete for a national championship. In the two years prior, the meet has been conducted in Surprise, Arizona, and Orlando, Florida, Munz noted. The Badgers have represented well in both events and look to continue to do the same in Georgia.
“We have a lot of depth on our team, so we can be a lot more focused this year and hopefully do well,” Munz said.
Club sports continue to have a positive impact on UW’s community and its students who are looking for an escape from the academic stress of college. The chemistry throughout the club was noteworthy in the end, as Munz and Sviatoslavsky wasted no time jumping back into a doubles match to enjoy their final practice of the week on a brisk Wednesday night on the west side of UW’s campus.
