They say it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish, and the UW women’s tennis team is hoping this to be true as it prepares to take on Ohio State and Penn State on the road this weekend before the Big Ten Tournament.
“I think we’re getting better as the season goes on,” assistant coach Audra Cohen said. “Hopefully we can take our momentum into this weekend and on to the Big Ten Tournament.”
Ohio State looks to be a tough match for the Badgers, coming off a 4-3 victory at Indiana. The Buckeyes are led by senior Kirsten Flower and junior Paloma Escobedo, who have each won seven of their last 10 matches. The biggest advantage the Buckeyes have going for them is their 9-2 record at home.
“It’s always tough to match up with OSU, especially when it’s at their place,” head coach Brian Fleishman said. “But, I’m expecting us to play well.”
After splitting its matches last weekend, losing to Iowa and beating Minnesota, Wisconsin sits in ninth place in the Big Ten, only two games out of a tie for fifth place.
But with the Big Ten Tournament only one week away, it’s hard not to think ahead.
“I think we’re definitely looking at this weekend differently,” Cohen said. “This weekend will have a huge effect on our placement in the tournament.”
However, Fleishman is taking a more cautious approach.
“You can never forget about the tournament, but we have to take care of Ohio State and Penn State first,” Fleishman said. “The Big Ten Tournament is also in the back of our mind, but this weekend’s match ups are the most important thing right now.”
The players seem to be buying into the one-game-at-a-time approach.
“I definitely take it one step at a time,” junior Alaina Trgovich said. “All of our preparation is going into beating Ohio State and Penn State this weekend.”
This approach has seemed to pay off as the players have been playing with a sense of purpose lately.
Senior co-captain Katya Mirnova, who was recently moved from the No. 1 spot to the No. 3 spot in singles, is playing with more confidence than ever.
“I liked playing at No. 1, but I’m actually very comfortable playing at No. 3,” Mirnova said. “Playing at the top spot for a while really gave me the experience of playing against quality opponents. So, when I go out there at No. 3 I know that I can beat anyone I face.”
Mirnova, the lone senior and co-captain, is doing just that, winning her last five matches. She knows what it takes to succeed, but it all started with practice.
“I tell my teammates that if they work hard each and every practice it will pay off in the long-run,” Mirnova said. “As I look back on my career I can only point out a few practices where I didn’t feel comfortable.”
Trgovich’s year, just like the Badgers,’ has been up and down. Coming off last year’s season-ending injury, she has played in every spot this year. This past weekend coach Fleishman decided to switch things up and put Trgovich in the No. 1 spot against Minnesota. She took on the role admirably, winning the match in three sets.
“It’s been up and down coming back from an injury,” Trgovich said. “I finally feel like I’m back to how I was before the injury.”
If Wisconsin is to succeed this weekend and make a run in the tournament, there is one thing it has to thank, and that is experience; the Badgers have played 10 ranked opponents, six of which are currently in the top 10.
“We’ve had one of the hardest schedules in the country,” Cohen said. “We’ve consistently played top ranked opponents week in and week out. Hopefully they’ll be able to take that experience and use it to their advantage in the Big Ten Tournament.”
Come tournament time, anything is possible, and though the Badgers may have struggled with consistency throughout the year, they are playing their best tennis at the right time.
“This team is going to play its best tennis this weekend against Ohio State and Penn State,” Fleishman said. “Going into the tournament I think we’ll be right where we should be.”
