With the Big Ten Tournament arriving today, the women's tennis team is still searching for its first conference win.
Pitted against sixth-seeded Wisconsin (10-11 overall, 5-5 Big Ten), head coach Tim Bauer believes his 11th-seeded Spartans (8-14, 0-10) have the best opportunity yet to taste victory.
"The mood of our team right now is very up," Bauer said. "They're not happy being last in the Big Ten right now, and they're going out to prove that where we are right now is not where we belong."
The Spartans are no stranger to unwelcome circumstances, having faced adversity the entire season. In November, sophomore Dora Vastag - projected to be the No. 1 singles player - suffered an injury requiring season-ending surgery.
MSU also has been competing without the aid of two other players, freshmen Shelley Brady and Jean Willmann, for the past month.
Willmann had posted a stellar 11-4 record before developing the stress fractures that sidelined her. Brady posted an 11-14 record before suffering a severe ankle sprain. Both players missed the entire conference season.
"We coach our team to not worry about the things they cannot control," Bauer said. "When you have difficulties like this, you may shift your focus a little on individual victories, but our goal is still to be an elite program."
Brady and Willmann will return to the court for the matchup with Wisconsin. However, the Spartans have a rocky road ahead of them. Wisconsin defeated MSU 7-0 on Sunday.
Bauer was pleased with the first-round draw, despite facing a team which shut MSU out just four days ago. He pointed out the advantage to playing a team twice in a short span - knowing the opponent's nuances.
Sophomore Keri Thompson earned the Spartans' No. 1 spot in singles play, while junior Caroline Lay will be the No. 2 singles player. Thompson and Lay have been the best players for MSU during the regular season, compiling a combined 32-25 record while in the top two positions.
Bauer said they'll give Wisconsin a run for its money.
"They're hungry for a win," he said. "I think they feel that with all the work they've put in that it's disappointing to not have as many wins as we could have, had we been healthy.
