Milwaukee City Wire

The Milwaukee women's tennis team is set to begin its Horizon League matches this weekend with a trip to Michigan to face Oakland. The match is scheduled for Saturday at 3:30 p.m. CT at the Bloomfield Township Tennis and Health Club.

Milwaukee enters league play with a 6-8 record, having recently completed their spring tour against Chattanooga and Georgia Gwinnett, the top-ranked NAIA team.

Oakland finished last season with a 5-12 overall record and went 1-5 in Horizon League play. Under new head coach David Brown, who has been coaching since August 2021, the team closed its non-league schedule with losses to Wayne State and Bowling Green.

Despite facing tough opponents like Georgia Gwinnett, where they dropped the doubles point but saw Nadiia Konieva and Babette Burgersdijk secure a victory against the No. 3 ranked doubles team, Milwaukee has shown resilience. Evelina Anastasi also had a notable singles win over Carol Mora.

Konieva has had an impressive season so far, boasting a 15-4 singles record. She tied for the longest singles victory streak by a Panther since Mayya Perova's ten-match streak in 2022. In doubles, Iva Stejskalova leads with 15 wins alongside partner Emilia Durska.

The Panthers have already made their mark this season by sweeping the Horizon League Under Armour Player of the Week awards on February 7th. Sara Simonova was named Singles Player of the Week while she and Burgersdijk were recognized as Doubles Team of the Week.

First-year head coach Mark Goldin aims to build on last year's semifinal appearance in the Horizon League Tournament. Goldin brings extensive experience from his successful tenure at Cardinal Stritch University and prior involvement with Milwaukee's program.

The team's roster includes players from seven different countries, featuring five returners along with newcomers including transfer students and freshmen.

This fall, Milwaukee participated in three tournaments where Konieva excelled in singles matches alongside newcomer Laure Razet. The Panthers are predicted to finish fourth in league standings according to coaches' polls despite strong finishes in recent seasons.

Milwaukee has performed well at home recently with an impressive record over four-plus years. They will host Cleveland State and Youngstown State next weekend at River Glen Elite after returning from Michigan.