Maybe it's the yoga, maybe it's the revised practice schedule.
Whatever the reason, the Wisconsin women's tennis team is surging after snagging its sixth straight victory Tuesday night. Head coach Patti Henderson, for one, thinks the yoga is responsible for the Badger's recent string of solid play.
\Believe it or not, they'll probably laugh when they hear me say this, but we've been doing some yoga throughout the year,"" Henderson said. ""It's been like an hour and a half long and it requires good concentration.""
But as Henderson was saying good-byes to her student-athletes as they trickled out of the Nielsen Tennis Center Tuesday night after UW's 4-3 victory over Notre Dame, she asked the few still lingering,
""Don't you think the yoga has been the contributing factor [to the team's solid play]?"" This yielded a collective groan of, ""yoga has been the worst experience.""
""That's exactly why it helps, because they hate it,"" Henderson replied. ""So, I honestly think for as much as they think they don't like it, that it actually has an impact. I really do believe that.""
Whether or not the coach and athletes agree on the yoga, something has solidified this team heading into the final stretch of conference play. Up first for the No. 35 Badgers (2-1 Big Ten, 10-4 overall) is a trip to Penn State (1-2, 5-7) Friday and then to No. 36 and Big Ten front-runner Indiana (3-0, 9-7) Sunday morning.
Despite winning their last three matches without earning the double's point, the Badgers have not faltered since their Feb. 25 loss at Brigham Young. Following the loss, Henderson changed up the practice routine.
""After BYU, we spent a period of every single practice working on having composure, working on working through being uncomfortable,"" Henderson said. ""I think that has also had a contributing factor to [the winning streak].""
The Nittany Lions and Hoosiers are quite the opposites. Penn State was blanked by Purdue 7-0 March 27 and has dropped three of its last four. The Hoosiers snuck by No. 51 Illinois 4-3 March 27 and have won three of their last four. But the Hoosiers get a visit from No. 2 Northwestern Friday, a match that could shake up the conference standings.
The Badgers-confident from their recent success-are looking forward to the road challenge.
""I feel like we're all playing really well,"" UW sophomore Caitlin Burke said. ""We won-we played Michigan, Michigan State and just [now] Notre Dame-I think it's good confidence for all of us.""
UW senior Katie McGaffigan will have a family reunion when she sees younger sister and IU sophomore Laura McGaffigan. However, it is unlikely the two will meet in competition. Yet Henderson believes a bit of that family atmosphere has rubbed off on this year's squad.
""They're behind each other and that's important,"" she said. ""They don't want to let themselves down, they don't want to let their teammates down. I think that's a huge thing.""
