KEVIN KLAUS/Arizona Daily Wildcat Emilie Scribot and No. 20 Arizona see their first action of the spring today when they host San Diego at Robson Tennis Center.

Last spring, the Arizona women's tennis team had it moments.

It will now look to take the next step toward high-level consistency and prove it is worthy of its ranking.

The Wildcats proved last season that they are capable of playing with the best teams in the country, and they have been rewarded by a 20th in-the-nation ranking coming into the 2003 spring season.

UA will get its first opportunity to show it is deserving of its top-20 handle when it plays host to University of San Diego this afternoon at 2:30 in the LaNelle Robson Tennis Center.

In addition to its team ranking, sophomore Maja Mlakar is ranked 13th in the nation coming into the season.

Mlakar is ranked highly, but she is not fully recovered from shin splints, an injury that she has been battling since the fall season.

Mlakar has been unable to play competitively for the past two months and said that she is nowhere near the level she needs to have a season similar to that of her first, last year.

"I am not ready to play at the top position," Mlakar said. "I have not played in two months, and I am still working back from injury. I think I am going to play at the third position this week, but I am not sure."

With Mlakar battling to regain form, sophomore Dianne Hollands and newcomer Emilie Scribot have stepped in and added depth to Arizona, a dimension of its team that UA was lacking last season.

"I am really confident right now," Hollands said. " I had a really good fall season, and I am ready (to) prove myself with the team during the spring. I have areas I need to improve on, but I feel good about the way that I am playing right now."

UA head coach Vicky Maes said the depth of the Wildcats makes practice competitive because each player's position on the team has yet to be solidified.

"We are solid from top to bottom this year," Maes said. "If you look at other Pac-10 rosters and non Pac-10 rosters, we are solid. It is a big improvement from last season. My hope is that this causes players to work harder to earn their spot."

Hollands said the competitiveness in practice has made the team come together, and the chemistry on the court has improved as well.

"All of the girls on this team push each other," Hollands said. "No one can be in a comfort zone because anyone can beat one another on any given day."

The Wildcats will get their first chance of the season this afternoon to see if their hard work has paid off.