Milwaukee City Wire

The Milwaukee women's tennis team is set to continue its promising start to the season with a pair of away matches. The Panthers will first face the University of Chicago on Friday and then head to Valparaiso for a Saturday match.

Milwaukee, holding a 3-2 record, recently achieved its first-ever victory over Marquette with a 4-3 win, thanks to Emilia Durska's decisive performance at No. 5 singles. They aim to maintain this momentum against their upcoming opponents.

In their history against the University of Chicago, Milwaukee has won all three encounters. The Maroons are currently undefeated this spring with a 3-0 record and are ranked second in NCAA Division III. They recently secured victories over Kalamazoo and Kenyon College. Head coach Jay Tee leads the team into his thirteenth year, having developed two strong squads in NCAA Division III.

Against Valparaiso, Milwaukee holds a 19-6 all-time record but lost their last two meetings in close contests. Valpo's Beacons have started their season with three wins from fall matches but suffered recent losses against SIUE and Western Michigan.

Milwaukee's historic win over Marquette marked its first victory against the city rival after numerous attempts over two decades. This success adds to their perfect record against Big East teams this season, following another win over Providence.

Nadiia Konieva and Nikola Nikolajeva were recognized as the Under Armour Horizon League Tennis Doubles Team of the Week for their contributions to Milwaukee's successful start.

Expectations are high for Milwaukee under second-year head coach Mark Goldin. Last season, they finished fourth in the Horizon League Tournament after a challenging opening round defeat.

The current roster features players from seven countries, including key returners like Nadiia Konieva who had an impressive previous season.

The Panthers have been strong at home recently with an overall home record of 29-13 over four-plus years. Following this weekend's matches, they will prepare for another busy schedule next week including games against UIC, St. Thomas, and Northwestern.