Titans To Perform At WIAC Women's Tennis Championship
UW-Oshkosh players will be seeded fourth in three singles flights and one doubles division for this weekend's WIAC Women's Tennis Championship in Madison.
Competition in the 44th edition of the championship begins Saturday (Oct. 24) and concludes on Sunday (Oct. 25) at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium. The event will decide a team champion along with six singles and three doubles winners.
This weekend's tournament accounts for two-thirds of the conference title formula. The regular-season dual meet standings determine the remaining third.
This fall, UW-Whitewater earned seven points for its 6-0 dual meet record. UW-La Crosse (5-1) finished second with six points, UW-Eau Claire (4-2) third with five, UW-Oshkosh (3-3) fourth with four, UW-Stevens Point (2-4) fifth with three, UW-Stout (1-5) sixth with two and UW-River Falls (0-6) seventh with one.
After the points are added from the WIAC Championship, the top four teams in the overall standings will advance to the WIAC Team Tournament in April. The winner of that event will earn the WIAC's automatic bid to the 2016 NCAA Division III Championship.
UW-Whitewater is the eight-time defending WIAC Champion. Last year, the Warhawks claimed the 15th conference title in program history with 20 overall points.
UW-La Crosse finished a close second with 19 points, while UW-Eau Claire placed third with 15, UW-Oshkosh fourth with 12, UW-Stevens Point fifth with nine, UW-River Falls sixth with six and UW-Stout seventh with three.
The initial day of competition at the conference event will consist of the first two rounds of doubles matches followed by the first round of singles matches. The second day of the championship will feature the final two rounds of singles matches followed by the last round of doubles matches.
Individually, all six singles champions from a season ago are back, including Alexandra Talyansky (No. 3), Alicia Beck (No. 4) and Jillian Wallace (No. 5) from UW-Whitewater. UW-La Crosse's Bridget Bellissimo and Kimmy Mrozek were the winners at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, while UW-Eau Claire's Sarah Henderson captured the No. 6 singles crown.
UW-Whitewater's Erika Williams won the No. 4 singles title in 2013 after claiming No. 6 singles in 2012. The Warhawks' Megan Humphreys was victorious at No. 3 singles in 2013.
In doubles competition a season ago, Beck teamed with Bridgid McGuire to win the top flight, while Wallace helped claim the second. UW-La Crosse's Jennifer Graham was a member of the winning No. 3 doubles squad.
In 2013, Mrozek teamed with Bryanne Blanton to emerge victorious at No. 2 doubles.
UW-Oshkosh individual players seeded fourth are Paige Ganser (3-3) in the second flight, Sophie Pitz (2-6) in the third and Shauna Stoffregen (4-5) in the fourth. All three players open competition against opponents from UW-Stevens Point – Ganser vs. Emily Kleist, Pitz vs. Nicole Thorson and Stoffregen vs. Frances Weiss.
The Titans' Bailey Sagen (3-6) is seeded fifth in the first flight. Seeded sixth are both Ashlee Polena (1-8) in the fifth flight and Paige Kloth (1-6) in the sixth.
In doubles play, UW-Oshkosh's No. 1 tandem of Ganser and Sagen (6-5) is seeded fourth. They will face the UW-Stevens Point duo of Kleist and Thorson in their first match.
Pitz and Stoffregen (3-8) are seeded sixth for the Titans in the second flight and Kloth and Hannah Nauth (1-5) seventh in the third.