70 // VARSITY February 6, 2014
INSIDE
WOMEN'S TENNIS
BY MINDY VAN DYKE @BADGERWTENNIS
Starting something: UW
opens Samara-era 2-0
Badgers top Marquette and Northern Illinois
T
he opening weekend of
the 2014 season was
successful for the Wis-
consin women's tennis team,
even if the Badgers' perfor-
mance was not necessarily a
work of art. Last Sunday, UW
gritted out a 5-2 win over
Northern Illinois in its home
opener. Combined with Satur-
day's 5-2 win at Marquette, the
Badgers are off to a 2-0 start.
"At the end of the day, we
pretty much redefined win-
ning ugly," said head coach
Tina Samara. "At the end of the
day, you have to be able to win
ugly."
Samara may be new to the
Wisconsin-Marquette rivalry,
but it didn't take the first-year
coach long to notch bragging
rights in the I-94 series.
"It was definitely great for
the team to beat Marquette since we lost
to them last year," Samara said, referring
to UW's loss a year ago, which snapped
an eleven-year win streak over the in-
state rivals. "We owed them one back."
In addition to Samara's first wins at
Wisconsin, last weekend also marked
the first wins for freshmen Sydney Rider.
"The last two matches, Sydney has
played really well in singles," said Sama-
ra. "Sydney is a kid that, when she gets
confident, you will see some great things
out of her. If she continues to work the
way she is now, we are going to see her
improve throughout the season."
Rider, along with teammates Lauren
Chypyha and Anastasia Tripolskaya,
went 2-0 on the weekend. Doubles pair
Nova Patel and Tripolskaya are also 2-0.
Although the team is off to a 2-0 start,
Samara is putting an emphasis on main-
taining positive energy and confidence.
"I think that this team needs to learn that
if they can beat someone 6-0, 6-0 then
they should beat them 6-0, 6-0," said Sa-
mara. "They need to learn how to come
out and be who they are regardless of the
other side."
Wisconsin continues its five-match
homestand this Sunday at Noon against
Milwaukee. UW's all-time record against
Milwaukee is 4-0, most recently sweep-
ing the Panthers, 7-0, in both 2011 and
2012.
SCHEDULE (2-0)
LAST TIME OUT
Feb. 1 at Marquette W, 5-2
Feb. 2 Northern Ill. W, 5-2
COMING UP
Sunday Milwaukee Noon
Feb. 14 #65 Louisville 2 p.m.
Feb. 16 Dartmouth 10 a.m.
