Milwaukee City Wire

The Milwaukee women's tennis team is gearing up for a busy weekend, facing three matches in three days. Their schedule begins with a match against former league opponent UIC on Friday, followed by hosting St. Thomas on Saturday, and concluding with a trip to Northwestern on Sunday.

Milwaukee currently holds a 4-3 record after securing a 5-2 win over Valparaiso. The first match of the weekend will take place against the Flames at XS Tennis in Chicago at 12 p.m. Following that, the Panthers will welcome St. Thomas at River Glen Elite in Milwaukee on Saturday at 3 p.m., where admission is free. The final match will be held at Combe Tennis Center against Northwestern on Sunday at 4 p.m., with live statistics and video available through the MKE website.

UIC has dominated their series with Milwaukee, holding an impressive record from their time in the Horizon League and having won the last 11 encounters between them. Elizabeth Lumpkin Robinson leads UIC as head coach and her team has started this season with a 2-1 record.

St. Thomas will face Milwaukee for the first time under head coach Colby Carlson, who led his team to an 8-13 record last year. Currently, they are positioned seventh in the Summit League preseason poll.

Northwestern's women's tennis program, coached by Claire Pollard since 1999, is known for its strong performances in NCAA tournaments. The Wildcats finished last season with an 18-6 record but have had recent losses against top-ranked teams this month.

Milwaukee's notable achievement includes their historic victory over Marquette earlier this month, marking their first win over this city rival in program history.

Panthers' players Nadiia Konieva and Nikola Nikolajeva were recognized as Under Armour Horizon League Tennis Doubles Team of the Week recently due to their significant contributions early this season.

Under second-year head coach Mark Goldin, expectations are high for Milwaukee after finishing third in the Horizon League preseason poll. Goldin's previous coaching success adds promise to their current campaign.

The roster features players from seven different countries, including standout returner Nadiia Konieva who led her team last season in both singles and doubles victories.

The Panthers performed well during fall tournaments and have been strong competitors at home venues over recent years.

Following this weekend's games, Milwaukee will next play Western Illinois on March 1st at home.