The UA women's tennis team will try to halt a two-game losing skid today when it travels to Tempe to take on intrastate rival ASU.

The Wildcats are coming off a two-game road trip that saw them lose to both Southern California and UCLA by the score of 1-6 in their first true tests of the season.

UA's toughest test will come this afternoon against the No. 7 Sun Devils, who recently defeated USC 4-3.

Arizona takes the court against ASU after only one day of practice between its two losses over the weekend.

"These girls love to compete," head coach Vicky Maes said. "I think it is good that we have a chance to get right back on the court because everyone will be fired up and ready to go."

Freshman Maja Mlakar agreed with Maes and said she is confident in Arizona's ability to upset ASU.

"We have to be ready," Mlakar said. "If we come out and give it our best, I think we can beat them."

UA (4-2, 1-2 Pacific 10 Conference) comes in as a heavy underdog, but sophomore Debbie Larocque said the team is ready to get back on the court and return to the winning ways it enjoyed during the first month of its dual match season.

"We will definitely bounce back from our two losses in Los Angeles," Larocque said. "ASU is our biggest rival, and we will be ready to play hard and give it our all. We will need everyone to give 100 percent."

Individually, Mlakar and Larocque, who are UA's top two players, have lost two consecutive matches, but Maes said she likes Arizona's chances against ASU's top two players - Adria Engel and Luana Magnani.

"If we can get the girls to rally around each other, it will fire them up," Maes said. "We will definitely come out energized to beat ASU."