The women’s tennis program at UW-Whitewater opened WIAC play Friday, Aug. 30, against UW-La Crosse. Uncharacteristically, the Warhawks lost the match. It was the first time they have lost a WIAC match since 2006. During that stretch Whitewater had beaten La Crosse 25 times in a row. But don’t think the Warhawks are crushed by the defeat.
“In our post-match huddle they definitely showed good leadership and no one’s complaining about the loss, no one is taking it too hard,” head coach Frank Barnes said. “We’ve just got to get back to work.”
The team is composed of seven returners from last season’s WIAC championship. Within those returners are captains Sarah Ferguson, Cassie Lee and Gracie Ha. It’s a diverse group of leaders. Ferguson is a senior who just last season worked her way into the lineup after two seasons of hard work. Lee brings plenty of experience to the table as another senior. Ha, despite being a junior, is one of the most experienced players on the team as she got her start in the lineup as a freshman.
“Those three captains really bring a lot of leadership to the table, a lot of conference championships between the three of them and NCAA experience,” said Barnes.
Like Ha, freshman Abby Weaver is in the starting lineup before even attending a college class. Weaver won her first collegiate match against La Crosse, taking a 6-4 6-0 victory at No. 4 singles. Weaver and Ava Andrae, another freshman, pulled off an 8-7(5) victory playing as the No. 2 doubles pairing. While starting two freshmen at the second highest position in the doubles lineup isn’t exactly normal, it was a good fit for the young, aggressive players.
“It’s super fun for me and Ava to play together because we both play like the exact same, and we’re both freshmen so we’re just out here having a good time so it’s great,” Weaver said.
The four freshmen on the roster performed well as they have been getting their feet under themselves while they take their first steps as college athletes.
“Ava [Andrae] was the number one player from Cederberg. So we knew she would be good from the Milwaukee area, she’s even better than we thought,” Barnes said. “She’s really tough mentally, nothing bothers her.”
Whitewater will have plenty of opportunities for these freshmen and the rest of the team as they push through the fall season. The Warhawks will play a number of dual matches, WIAC and non-conference, as we
ll as in various invitationals and tournaments.
The team will enter those opportunities carrying a team chemistry that has been apparent before play even began. Barnes noted that after losing the first match of the season, the team will need that strong chemistry to hold true as they are in unfamiliar territory.
“I’m really excited that this team just has all positive energy. I think we’re going to do well,” Barnes said. “But obviously today puts us in our spot, as far as ’Hey, we’re not running away with any titles here.’ We’re going to have to sit down and work for it. I think it’s going to be good for us.”
Even after the loss the players showed confidence and maturity, signaling a resilience that will help guide them throughout the long tennis season.
“After today we just have to keep our heads up and just keep working hard,” Weaver said. “It’ll come, success will come, we’ve just got to keep supporting and having each other’s backs.”
