Nicole Robinson

The UW-Eau Claire women’s tennis team enters this weekend’s WIAC Championships looking up at the two conference teams that beat them during the regular season – UW-La Crosse and UW-Whitewater.

The Blugolds’ (4-2 in the WIAC) two dual losses came at the hands of La Crosse and Whitewater, both 9-0 sweeps.

While both teams swept the Blugolds during their respective games, the outcome and scores were a little deceiving. Many of the games could have gone either way, coach Craig Monson said.

Eau Claire’s first goal of the weekend is to not slip below their current third-place standing, Monson said.

“We’re definitely going to look for more,” senior Katie Kuzma said. “Nobody is out of reach for anybody.”

Kuzma is the Blugolds’ No. 1 singles player and has the fourth seed in the tournament. She will face Jenna Bettmann of UW-Stout in the first round. In the doubles bracket, Kuzma will be joined by partner Laura Geissler as the No. 3 seed.

“(Geissler) and I can always step up when we need to. Nobody is out of reach,” Kuzma said.

Playing indoors at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison can provide for a fun, unique experience, Monson said.

“To play in the same place the Badgers and the Big Ten play is always fun and a good weekend to look forward to,” he said.

The indoor setting also can take away the outdoor conditions that may have been a factor for the teams all season, Kuzma said.

La Crosse comes into the tournament in first place, with seven points, followed by Whitewater, at six points, and Eau Claire, with five points. But because of the way the conference championship is designed, the race still is wide open.

La Crosse has sustained a perfect record throughout the WIAC season, while Whitewater’s one blemish came at the hands of the Eagles.

Whitewater ended Eau Claire’s dominance, a string of 10-straight conference championships, last year.

One-third of the final standings are based on the regular season conference standings, while the tournament accounts for the final two-thirds.

Monson said this format makes it possible for anything to happen during the two days.

“Whenever you play tournament format anything can happen,” Monson said. “You just have to go out there and play your best and let it go from there.”

The Blugolds No. 2 through No. 4 singles players, sophomores Kristie Carlson, Liz Deprey and junior Molly Hunt, all claimed third seeds. The No. 5 singles of junior Alli Taplin and No. 6 Geissler are seeded fourth.

In doubles, Carlson and Hunt are seeded third, as are the No. 3 team of Deprey and sophomore Kristin Neuman.

Eau Claire’s doubles team has only gotten better as the season has gone on, Monson said.

While Monson said it is his team’s goal to go in and win all its first-round matches, he is fully aware no win is an automatic.

“You have to be ready to play whoever you play against,” Monson said. “They’re all college tennis players and can hit the ball back.”

The two-day league championship tournament begins Saturday at 12:40 p.m., and resumes Sunday at 9 a.m.