WHITEWATER, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - As the UW-Eau Claire women's tennis team approaches the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) tournament this weekend, they look back at where they've been this season and at the vital keys to their success.
"Teamwork," said Maddie Johnson (Sr. Lakeville, Minn.) when asked to sum up the season in one word. "Every day we push each other to do our best and we put teamwork at the center of almost everything we do."
Constantly working, pushing, and competing, this team separated themselves as unique. The word "special" may, in fact, be the best way to describe this team.
"Coach has told us many times that this group of girls is very special," said Madison Rossebo (Sr. Minnetonka, Minn.). "Every single person, including the exhibition players, is capable of succeeding as a starter on this team."
That flexibility and team first attitude has propelled these Blugolds to great success. Head coach Tom Gillman reiterated this point, praising his team for being open to change and sacrifice for the betterment of the team.
"It didn't matter what lineup we played," said Gillman." They had the same resilient attitude on the court. We just forged ahead."
The third-seeded Blugolds will travel to Whitewater on Saturday as the top-seed Warhawks host the 2015 WIAC Tournament. The four-team field includes the top four teams (UW-Whitewater, UW-La Crosse, UW-Eau Claire, UW-Oshkosh) in the overall conference standings from the fall season. The winner of Saturday's tournament will receive the automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Championship.
And ahead lies a challenge in the form of No. 2 seed UW-La Crosse, who beat the Blugolds 5-4 in a close October match. But the Blugolds (14-4, 4-2 WIAC) have faith in their team.
"What sets this team apart is our team chemistry," said Rossebo. "Every player contributes something to the team in some way or another. Because we are so close, we are able to push each other in ways that some teams may not be able to. We all know what each other is capable of, and use that to help each other succeed."
Action begins at noon on Saturday, with the third place and championship matches starting at 3 p.m.
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