Returning from a year with a second place finish in the conference, the Blugold women’s tennis team has high hopes for the upcoming season.
Last season, the team finished second at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference team tournament, but this year the team has confidence there could be a better outcome for the Blugolds.
Coach Tom Gillman says he is optimistic about his girls’ opportunities for success.
“We feel like (a conference title) is achievable, we are certainly going to go after that,” Gillman said about the upcoming season.
Gillman, who is in his sixth year of coaching for the women’s team and also coach of the men’s tennis team, said the team is a deeper in talent this year and that they are setting high goals for the season.
“One thing that will really help is practicing being competitive,” Gillman said. “We can push each other in practices.”
Senior Taylor Heltne has that team oriented mind set for the season. “I want to do my part every match to help the team,” she said. “We are going to go out and fight, we are a team that doesn’t give up.”
She said the team has been young in previous years, but now there are two seniors and more leadership.
Heltne said the team is close knit bond. “I love our dynamic. I love the relationship we have. We aren’t just teammates, we are friends.”
The team is strong from top to bottom this year and they are very competitive in terms of the level of ability, Heltne said.
Their first match was away against UW-Whitewater on Friday. Heltne said the team played well, but got off to a slow start. The final score was UW-Whitewater 8, UW-Eau Claire 1
Colleen McCullough of UWEC won her singles match against UW-Whitewater’s Erika Williams to give the Blugolds one point. The scores of the match were 6-1 and 6-4.
The match against UW-Whitewater was a conference game. The next game against a conference opponent is scheduled for September 5 at UW-Stout.
As the season gets into full swing Gretchen Bachmeier, a senior on the team, has a positive attitude.
“From our team you can always expect hard work, sportsmanship, and very competitive attitudes,” 
Bachmeier’s expectations for the season are to play tough but she said, “At the end of the day it means more that we put a strong effort out on the court, made our opponents intimidated, and not if we won or lost.”
Other key matches to watch out for this season include UW-Lacrosse, Winona State (Minn.) and the ITA Tournament in September.
