The UW-Eau Claire women’s tennis team lost 3-6 against UW-Whitewater on Sept. 16. This marks the Blugolds 19th consecutive loss against the Hawks, however, this is only the first loss for the Blugolds this season.

The team won 9-0 against both UW-River Falls and UW-Stout and tied for fourth out of nine teams at the Warhawk Invite. The Blugolds won two singles matches and one doubles match, while the Hawks won the rest. 

UW-Eau Claire women’s tennis coach Kenneth Cychozs said the Whitewater team has changed since previous years.

“I think this is a much more well rounded personality team from a Whitewater perspective – they weren’t quite as friendly in the past. I thought they did a very good job today on the court,” Cychozs said. 

Third-year rehab science student Samantha Fuchs won her singles match against Kellie Ha 7-6 (3), 6-3. 

“It was a tough one because she’s a good player, but I just had to be consistent, wait for her to make the errors and attack when I needed to,” Fuchs said. 

Fuchs said she felt good about her performance, and would be preparing even harder than she had for the match against Whitewater to be ready for the upcoming Midwest ITA Regional. In addition, Fuchs said they were proud of the whole team’s performance that day.

“We all played really well, so we were all in it. Next time we’re gonna get it,” Fuchs said. 

Second-year business finance student Liv Herzog also won her singles match, beating UW-Whitewater’s Mackenzie Lindow 6-3, 6-2. 

Herzog said that emotional stress affects how she plays, and while she was feeling nervous before her match, she was able to adjust once she started playing, and was able to win her match. 

“I feel like I get in my head a lot, and that affects how I play,” Herzog said. 

Going forward, Herzog said she will try to stay positive and work on her backhands and volleys to prepare for the rest of the season. 

The other victory for the Blugolds this Saturday was a doubles match between UW-Eau Claire students Morgan Dekan and Anna Lee, and UW-Whitewater students Alex Repplier and Lindow with the Blugolds winning 8-6. 

“Today we had a chance to beat Whitewater, in fact, a really good chance,” Cychozs said, “As the opposing coach would tell you, that’s the best women’s match in the WIAC in over 15 years,” Cychozs said. 

The Blugold’s next match will be the Midwest ITA Regional held from Friday, Sept. 22, to Monday, Sept. 25. 

Going forward, Cychozs said the coaches will be working on helping the girls grow both physically and mentally so they become a stronger team by the end of the season. 

“In the spring, we’re playing some of the best in the country in division two and three – even the girls don’t know that yet,” Cychozs said. 

When Fuchs and Hergoz were informed of this, they both agreed they were up for it.

Liz Curtin can be contacted at [email protected].