Molly Caulk
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UWM Opens Tennis Championships With Butler
Panthers face second-seed Bulldogs Saturday morning
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April 24, 2003 MILWAUKEE -
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's tennis team will face second-seeded Butler in the first round of the 2003 Horizon League Women's Tennis Championships, beginning Saturday in Indianapolis. The Panthers (4-12, 1-6) and Bulldogs will begin play at 9 a.m. at North Central High School in Indianapolis.
Last Time Out
The Panthers dropped a pair of decisions in Indianapolis to two league foes, as UWM fell to Butler and Wright State by identical 6-1 margins. Against the Bulldogs, Erin Felber collected the lone win at No. 6 singles, while the Panthers teamed up to win the doubles point against the Raiders.
This Week's Opponent
The Panthers and Bulldogs met Saturday in Indianapolis, with the Bulldogs coming out on top, 6-1. With Saturday's win, the Panthers fall to 0-11 against Butler since moving to Division I in 1990. Should the Panthers win, they would face the winner of Wright State and Youngstown State, while a UWM loss would see the Panthers facing the loser of that match.
Tournament History
UWM is 6-13 all-time in the league tournament, with its best finish coming in the 1998 tournament, when the Panthers finished fourth out of seven teams. UIC has won the past six tournaments, with Butler finishing second in the past four.
Doubling Your Fun
In each of the four matches the Panthers have won during the 2002-03 season, the Panthers won the doubles point. Saturday, the Panthers won the doubles point against Wright State, the first time UWM won doubles without winning the match. Last year, the Panthers didn't win a single doubles point, reflected in the 0-18 mark posted on the season. Milwaukee has had most success in the No. 3 doubles spot, with the Panthers posting a mark of 4-8. Erin Felber and Melissa Hackett have the season's best mark as a duo, tallying a 4-3 record at No. 3 doubles.
Player of the Week
After going nearly three years without without having a UWM tennis player named Player of the Week, it took freshman Alyssa Halcomb just a month into her first season to accomplish the feat twice. Halcomb was most recently named Player of the Week on Oct. 29 following her play at the ITA Midwest Regional. She previously earned the honor for the week ending Oct. 13 after leading the Panthers to a victory over Missouri-Kansas City. That victory ended the Panthers' 28-match losing streak and was the first time since Erin Jex took over as head coach that the Panthers shut out an opponent. Halcomb was the first Panther to earn the league's weekly honor since Kristine Miller won the award on April 27, 2000.
Off and Running
The two newcomers to this year's team both had impressive debuts Sept. 21 at Whitewater, collecting both of the team's wins. At No. 2 singles, Alyssa Halcomb collected her first collegiate win, winning in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, while Margie Van Lieshout also picked up career win number one at No. 4 singles, winning 6-3, 5-7, 6-2. The pair also had a strong weekend at the Ball State Invitational, where they both finished fourth in their flight.
Spring Season = Some Success
Over the past three seasons, the Panthers have had more success in the spring portion of the season than in the fall, as UWM has picked up 12 wins in the spring session. During the fall, UWM has picked up just three wins in the last four years, including the victory over Missouri-Kansas City on Oct. 12. The Panthers are a combined 12-36 in the spring season, for a .250 winning percentage, compared to the 3-13 (.188) they have accumulated over the fall season during the same time frame.
Caulk Climbs the Lists
Senior Molly Caulk is tied with former Panther Julie Heling for third place all-time in career matches with 83 matches played after last weekends's road trip. Caulk moved third place with the Saturday's match against Wright State. She ended last season with 72, tied with Lori Rocklewitz, who played from 1993-97, and Tori Whitlinger, who played from 1994-98. Angi Bayer holds the school mark with 86 matches played, a mark Caulk could tie during the Horizon League Tournament if the Panthers advance to the championship match.
Freshmen Finding Success
Freshmen Margie Van Lieshout and Alyssa Halcomb both have had a solid start to their freshman seasons. Van Lieshout picked up her fourth win of the season Oct. 19 at Indianapolis, while Halcomb won her fourth match Oct. 24 at the ITA Regionals. The Panthers have had a trend of success from freshmen, as UWM has had a freshman win at least six matches each year for the past three years. Megan Brown picked up six last season, while Cassie Kuranz won the same number in her freshman campaign. Molly Caulk started the trend by winning nine matches during her rookie season in 1999-2000. The UWM record for wins in a season by a freshman is 14, held by Angi Bayer in 1992-93 and Tori Whitlinger in 1994-95.
Spring Break in Sunny Milwaukee
For the first time since the 1998-99 season, and the first time since coach Erin Jex took over the UWM tennis program, the Panthers did not take a training trip during Spring Break. Last year, UWM traveled to Texas for matches against Texas-Pan American, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and St. Mary's of Texas. The Panthers went 0-3 on last year's trip. Since moving to Division I in 1990, the Panthers are 9-17 all-time on Spring Break trips.
Up Next
The winner of the Horizon League Championship receives the league's berth in the NCAA Tournament.
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