Feb. 22, 2012

MILWAUKEE - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's tennis team plays a pair of home matches this weekend, including its second Horizon League match of the spring.

The Panthers (5-3, 1-0 Horizon) host Valparaiso Friday at 4 p.m. before Ball State visits Saturday at 6. Both matches will be played at LeClub.

Valparaiso is 2-2 this spring, with wins over Wittenberg and Kalamazoo and losses to IPFW and Bradley. The Crusaders are a young squad, with five freshmen and two sophomores among their nine players. Brittany O'Reilly and Michele Fredlake lead the Crusaders with three singles wins apiece.

Ball State (4-3) will bring a veteran team to Milwaukee on Saturday. The Cardinals have three seniors and two juniors on their eight-person roster. Ball State has played three matches against Horizon League foes this spring, with 7-0 wins over Wright State and Detroit and a 5-2 loss to Cleveland State. The Cardinals play at Marquette Friday before taking on UWM.

The Panthers opened their Horizon League schedule with a 6-1 win over Green Bay Friday at LeClub. UWM won two of the three doubles matches to capture the doubles point and then won five of the six singles matches.

Maddy Soule and Chelsea Bailey continue to lead the team with six spring singles victories apiece. Soule has played all of her matches in the top spot while Bailey is playing in the second-singles spot. Meanwhile, Soule and Christina Colarossi have won six doubles matches in the top spot while Kristin Kurer and Kelly Fritz have teamed up for a perfect 6-0 doubles record.

After the match with Valpo, UWM does not play another Horizon League contest until April. Next weekend, the Panthers host Northern Iowa Friday before playing at Northern Illinois Saturday.