The Milwaukee Panthers women’s tennis team will start its Horizon League schedule this weekend, traveling to face Oakland on Saturday, March 12. The match is set for 3:30 p.m. at Bloomfield Tennis & Fitness near the Oakland campus in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
This opening conference match comes after a challenging non-conference stretch for the Panthers, who hold a 5-7 record despite dealing with injuries to key players. The team competes in dual matches and seasonal tournaments, according to the official website of the Milwaukee Panthers Women’s Tennis Team. The program is part of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s athletic legacy and follows NCAA Division I guidelines as indicated on their official site.
Oakland enters league play after finishing last season with a 7-11 overall record and a 4-2 mark in Horizon League action. The Golden Grizzlies were ranked first in the league preseason poll but have struggled recently, dropping six of their last seven matches. Milwaukee has historically performed well against Oakland, holding a 14-6 all-time advantage and winning seven of the past eight meetings.
Last week, Milwaukee secured a convincing 6-1 win over Whitewater, extending its win streak in that series to 15 matches since 2006. Standout performances included Laure Razet and Nel Van Hout’s quick doubles victory and strong singles results across the lineup. Van Hout was recognized as Horizon League Singles Player of the Week on February 18 after extending her singles win streak to eight before it ended; she now holds a season singles record of 15-3. Nadiia Konieva and Sara Simonova also earned Doubles Team of the Week honors for their efforts.
Head coach Mark Goldin is in his third year leading the Panthers after previously serving as an assistant with the program from 2009 through 2012. Last season, Goldin guided Milwaukee to an upset over third-seeded Oakland in the Horizon League Championships before falling in the semifinals.
The team’s roster features student-athletes from eight countries and aims to help them balance academics with athletics, as noted by their official website. Looking ahead, Milwaukee will travel to Florida later this month for matches against North Alabama and Stetson during spring break.
