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After a successful showing at last weekend’s ITA Regional Rolex Tournament and Fall Invite at Luther College (Iowa), the women’s tennis team is ready for some action on its home court.

The Blugolds will host three WIAC foes, starting with UW-Whitewater at 3 p.m. Friday. Play will continue Saturday with a 10 a.m. matchup with UW-River Falls and a 2 p.m. duel with UW-La Crosse.

“This weekend will be a big determinant of where we are in the conference,” junior Alison Hover said.

Last season, La Crosse and Whitewater finished second and third, respectively, in the WIAC to the Blugolds, who have won eight straight conference titles.

Despite losing Molly Cope, Andrea Muellner and Suzie Hickman to graduation, this year’s young team (nine of the 13 players are underclassmen) is confident it will continue the streak.

“We’re all excited and positive right now,” sophomore Molly Cadwell said. “We all have talent. It’s just a matter of improving throughout the season.”

First-year coach Tom Gillman said he’s been impressed with the team’s overall progress so far and expects it to stay on top.

“We’re capable of being one of the teams that will be heard from,” Gillman said.

The Blugolds made plenty of noise last weekend at Luther.

In ITA singles play, Hover won her first three matches before falling to Ellen Anderson of Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.).

“I’ve played (Anderson) before,” Hover said. “It would have been an upset if I would have won, but I had a chance.”

Also in ITA singles, sophomore Jenny Stafford advanced to the third round and Cadwell won her first match.

Freshman Lindsay Lee won three matches in the Fall Invitational singles tournament.

Two tandems shined for the Blugolds in doubles competition. Cadwell and junior Melissa Huppert captured the Fall Invite championship, while Hover and Stafford reached the semifinals in ITA play.

Huppert and Cadwell won the tournament last year, and continue to improve each time they step on the court together.

“We work well together,” Cadwell said. “We’re both very aggressive.”

“You’ve got to take your hats off to them,” Gillman said. “Winning it again is not easy to do. I don’t even think they played their best in every match, which just shows what they’re capable of doing.”