The Milwaukee Panthers women’s tennis team has secured the No. 2 seed in the Horizon League Championships after claiming its second regular-season title, according to an April 21 announcement from the university.
This achievement is significant for the program, as it marks only the second time in its history that it has earned a share of the regular-season crown. The Panthers will receive a bye into Saturday’s semifinal round at Lindner Family Tennis Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, and await their opponent from Friday’s quarterfinal between Youngstown State and Northern Kentucky.
The tournament venue features 31 courts and five permanent stadiums, including Center Court with a capacity of 11,600. The Panthers finished league play with a record of 3-2 this season. Their possible opponents include Youngstown State, which they defeated earlier this month to snap an eight-match losing streak against them, and Northern Kentucky, who bested Milwaukee in last year’s tournament but trails slightly in their all-time series.
Team highlights this season include strong performances by newcomer Nel Van Hout—who leads Milwaukee with 21 singles wins and is close to becoming the first Panther since 2013-14 to reach at least 20 victories each in singles and doubles—and Nadiia Konieva, who went undefeated (5-0) at No.1 singles during league play. Head coach Mark Goldin is leading his third year with the team after previously serving as an assistant coach for Milwaukee from 2009 through 2012.
The roster consists of players from eight countries and includes seven returners along with new additions. The program competes under NCAA Division I guidelines according to its official website, engaging student-athletes in dual matches and tournaments while supporting their academic balance as noted on its website. The team forms part of Panthers athletics at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee according to official information.
If successful on Saturday, Milwaukee will advance to Sunday’s championship match for a chance to represent the conference at the NCAA Tournament.
