Wisconsin Badgers Maintain Perfect Record After Dominating Dual Matches

Wisconsin’s women’s tennis team held on to its undefeated season on Saturday by sweeping two opponents with identical 7-0 scores. The Badgers first defeated Bradley before shutting out Green Bay, a result that moves the team to 6-0 on the year. This performance gives Wisconsin its strongest opening stretch since 1992.

Green Bay entered the second match short-handed, fielding only five players. The visitors could not match the pace set by the Badgers, who established control early in the doubles session. Freshman MaryAnn Rompf and senior Kelsey Grambeau won their opening match 6-1 against Theresa Tebon and Tallie Piaskowski. Later, sophomore Melissa Pick and freshman Lexi Keberle secured a 6-0 victory over Maria Neff and Samm Pedersen.

The momentum from doubles carried into the singles matches, where no Wisconsin player lost a set. Keberle, competing at first singles, defeated Tebon 6-1, 6-1. She remains unbeaten in both singles and doubles, holding a combined record of 7-0. Rompf won the second singles match against Piaskowski 6-3, 6-1, while Michelle Linden took the third match against Sterre Tijssens 6-1, 6-0. Pick shut out Neff 6-0, 6-0, and Christina Zordani beat Pedersen 6-0, 6-1 to improve her singles record to 5-0.

Head coach Kelcy McKenna attributed the win to factors the team controls directly. "They did a great job with the controlables: their attitude, their effort and their energy," McKenna said. "Those three things are extremely important to our success." She noted that maintaining this level requires focusing on daily practice details and match simulations to prepare for upcoming tournaments.

Despite the perfect record, McKenna identified specific areas for improvement, particularly in doubles execution. "We need to do a little bit of a better job cleaning up our doubles in terms of serves and returns," she said, emphasizing the need to be aggressive and hit target zones on service plays. The coach also stressed the importance of carrying doubles momentum into singles to avoid giving away free points.

Wisconsin’s next opportunity to extend its unbeaten streak is scheduled for Feb. 9-12. The Badgers will host the National Team Indoor Championship, where they aim to continue their flawless start to the season.

The team’s current 6-0 record stands as a benchmark for the program, with the upcoming indoor tournament serving as the next major test for the squad.