The season winds to a close this weekend for the UW women's tennis team, with meets against Michigan Saturday and Michigan State Sunday.
The women are coming off of a long stretch on the road where they finish with a 2-2 record. Wisconsin (3-5 Big Ten, 8-11 overall) looks to improve its overall record before heading to the Big Ten Tournament at Champaign, Ill.
The season has been an uneven one for the Badgers, putting them in the middle of the pack of the Big Ten. This weekend's matches give the UW the opportunity to control its own destiny in determining where the team ends the season.
In order to gain a higher standing, the Badgers will look to win the close matches that have previously eluded them and been a source of frustration. Eight of Wisconsin's matches this season have ended with a 4-3 score; UW has only won two of those.
\A lot of our losses have been 4-3, so we need everybody to get out there and step on the court and play well,"" sophomore Katie McGaffigan said. ""If we all play well I think we'll be fine.""
Michigan and Michigan State will most likely be two very different teams this weekend. The two schools from the Great Lakes state have records at opposite ends of the Big Ten. This, however, does not change the attitude UW takes into this weekend.
""Michigan is a very tough team and we're going to have to play well in order to put ourselves in the position to win,"" Head Coach Patti Henderson said. ""Michigan State is a team that has improved. Right now, their number one player played five last year. They're going to give us a good fight.""
Henderson said that, thanks to the level of parity in the conference, teams are a lot closer in standing and that allows the Badgers to have some control of its finishing position in the Big Ten.
""We're in a position where we can't entirely control our destiny but we can potentially be five if a couple of other things happen,"" Henderson said.
The final two matches for the Badgers will be an important determinant as the team eyes the Big Ten tournament which begins four days after the match against Michigan State, so the women hope to take full advantage of the home court to give the teams a better standing and position for the tournament.
""You're just trying to get yourself in a position where you can peak at the right time,"" Henderson said. ""Right now, if we can peak next weekend, that's the goal. In the process if we can win these two matches this weekend that can help it, but the real thing is peak for the tournament and hopefully along the way we're going to pick up two wins this weekend.\
