Badgers Sweep Two Teams

The Wisconsin women's tennis team defeated Bradley and Green Bay on Saturday, winning both matches with a 7-0 score. The doubleheader victories move the Badgers to a 6-0 record on the season. This marks the program's best start since 1992.

Wisconsin controlled the doubles events early in the day. Freshman MaryAnn Rompf and senior Kelsey Grambeau defeated Theresa Tebon and Tallie Piaskowski 6-1. Sophomore Melissa Pick and freshman Lexi Keberle followed with a 6-0 win over Maria Neff and Samm Pedersen. No Wisconsin player dropped a set in the subsequent singles play.

Keberle, playing first singles, beat Tebon 6-1, 6-1. She now holds a combined 7-0 record in both singles and doubles. Rompf won her second singles match against Piaskowski 6-3, 6-1. Michelle Linden secured a 6-1, 6-0 victory at third singles. Pick won 6-0, 6-0, and Christina Zordani finished the match with a 6-0, 6-1 win to improve to 5-0 in singles this season.

Green Bay fielded only five players for the second match, which limited their ability to compete. Head coach Kelcy McKenna attributed the team's performance to focus on controllable factors. "They did a great job with the controlables: their attitude, their effort and their energy," McKenna said. "Those three things are extremely important to our success."

McKenna stated that the team must maintain focus on daily details to prepare for the upcoming schedule. "We have to concentrate on doing the little things right in practice," she said. The next scheduled event is the National Team Indoor Championship, set for Feb. 9-12, where Wisconsin will host.

Despite the perfect record, McKenna identified specific areas for improvement in doubles. The team needs to improve serves and returns to ensure they are the first to be aggressive. "We have to make sure as we move into singles, if we do have the doubles point, that we carry the momentum with us and try to be gritty and not give away free points," she said.

The Badgers will attempt to extend their unbeaten run during the National Indoors. The team enters the tournament as the defending champion, having started the season with two consecutive 7-0 sweeps.