The team returns from one of the best years in school history and the players are looking as good as ever to try to follow it up.  The team finished last season as conference champions and ranked in the top 20 in the nation.  The team returns all players that competed in the NCAA tournament in the spring except Kara Amundson (Prairie du Sac/Sauk Prairie).  In addition to Amundson, the team will also miss Jenny Woyahn (Waukesha/Waukesha South) and Brittany Gering (Greendale/Greendale) after four years of incredible contributions. 

 

After watching the challenge matches over the past two weeks, it appears that all the players have worked hard over the summer and have each improved.  The players all want to improve on last year's finish of making it to the second round of the NCAA tournament and going 23-4.  The team will be led by Kalla Schaefer (Madison/Madison Memorial) at the top who will play #1 singles and #1 doubles.  Schaefer is the reigning conference champion and the reigning Midwest ITA champion.  She is also the first Warhawk player since 1989 to make the NCAA individual tournament and she finished the season ranked in the top 20 in the nation for singles players.  Our captains this year are Ingrid Stensvaag (Palatine, IL/Palatine) and Michelle Daciolas (Roselle, IL/Lake Park) who return to the singles and doubles lineup. 

 

Other returning starters that will make an impact right away are Amy Siemon (Crystal Lake, IL/Crystal Lake South), Annie Smith (Algonquin, IL/H.D. Jacobs), Kelly Rutkowski (Waunakee/Waunakee), and Kathleen Kappel (Madison/Madison East).  We have several impressive freshman (Lauren Aguilar (Gurnee, IL/Carmel Catholic )/Kelly Foster (Glen Ellyn, IL/Glenbard West )/Megan Kasten (Verona/Verona)/Crystal Zhao (Hohhot, China/No. 28 High School of Hohhot)) and returning bench players (Marta Kinsman (Jefferson/Jefferson)/Abby Martin (Johnsburg, IL/Johnsburg)) that will be pushing these players for playing time.  They are all really doing well at practice and I'm so excited to have the deepest group we've had since I've been coaching here.  This should be a very fun year and I'm excited to get it started.

 

To see the photos from the past couple of weeks go to http://www.collegetennisonline.com/Univ.ofWisconsin,Whitewater-W-Tennis/Home.aspx

 

Our first matches were Wednesday and the teams started off well.  We beat Carthage 7-2 and IL-Wesleyan 9-0 in our home opener.

 

We hope to see you at home again on Saturday for our match against Wheaton college at 10am.

 

GO WARHAWKS!!