The Wisconsin women's tennis team will take on some of the top teams in the country in the ITA Midwest Region Championship today at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich. The tournament features teams from 34 colleges and universities all over the Midwest, including nine members of the Big Ten Conference.
The tournament is divided into three sections: the singles main draw, the singles qualifying draw and the doubles main draw. Wisconsin senior Elizabeth Carpenter and sophomore Alaina Trgovich qualified for the singles main draw. Freshmen Angela Chupa and Aleksandra Markovic, sophomore Jessica Seyferth and junior Katya Mirnova will compete in the singles qualifying draw.
It is no fluke that Carpenter and Trgovich have become the leaders of the Badgers' 11-player roster. Head coach Brian Fleishman sees the duo as two players capable of leading the team into Big Ten conference play in the spring semester. Though they come from opposite parts of the country - Carpenter from California and Trgovich from Indiana - the pair has come together to lead the team into the tough competition of Big Ten play.
I think they'll be able to do well at the top, at the 1-2 spot,"" Fleishman said.
Carpenter and Trgovich solidify the top of an already-solid roster. Fleishman noted how, in addition to the duo, the Badgers have good depth from top to bottom.
This depth includes up-and-coming freshman Angela Chupa. Chupa enters the singles qualifying draw of the Midwest Region Championship on a hot note. The talented first-year player from Bradenton, Fl., won four straight matches in her flight, or pool, of the Wildcat Invitational at Northwestern University earlier this month.
Chupa said she was proud of her performance at the Wildcat Invitational.
""I was a little nervous, but I think I performed well and represented the school in a good way,"" she said. ""It was really exciting to go 4-0 in singles.""
Fleishman remarked on the freshman's performances and her development this season as she solidifies her spot on the roster. He noted how she has experienced the typical highs and lows of a first-year player, but gave a promising outlook for her chances in East Lansing.
""I think she's gonna get to see the best players in the Midwest region,"" Fleishman said.
Indeed Chupa will see a familiar face in the first round of the singles qualifying draw of the tournament. Chupa will take on Ana Milosavljevic, the South African senior of the host Michigan State. The Badger freshman won her first of four matches at the Wildcat Invitational against Milosavljevic, defeating her in an exciting three-set match, 6-2, 2-6, 6-1. The Michigan State senior will look to avenge her first-round loss at Northwestern and force Chupa to bring her top game in what is shaping up to be an thrilling Big Ten rivalry - just in time for conference play.
Chupa remained optimistic of the opportunity to play against superior talent, seeing it as a learning experience. Fleishman commented on the overall talent at the Midwest Region Championship. He saw Northwestern as the finest competitors at the tournament, setting the bar for up-and-coming teams like Wisconsin.
""Are we there yet? Probably not, but that's what we're striving for,"" Fleishman said, with respect to the talent on the Wildcat roster. But the coach remained firm in his goals for the team in the tournament.
""I want some representation '¦ I want them to represent the university,"" he said.
The singles qualifying draws begin today and continue Friday. The top eight competitors of the qualifying draws will join the rest of the singles main draw in competition Saturday.
