Women's tennis gets bye to nationals

Arizona Daily Wildcat Junior Vicky Maes nails the ball with a backhand. The Wildcats still have the NCAA championships ahead of them.

It is finally time for the UA women's tennis team to take on its biggest challenge of the semester - the NCAA Championships.

"We're fired up," sophomore Monique Allegre said. "Everyone is more focused because of the hard work we had to give to get there."

The Wildcats will be among the 16 teams that begin competition for the national title tomorrow at Palo, Alto, Calif.

Arizona meets Texas in the first round today at noon.

The Wildcats defeated the Longhorns, 6-3 in Tucson in the beginning of April.

Texas finished the season with 14 Southwest Conference wins and a 22-5 mark overall.

Arizona lost to UCLA, 5-2, in the NCAA quarterfinals last season in Florida.

The Wildcats finished 14-8 overall and 3-7 in the Pacific 10 Conference Southern Division this year.

Although they earned an automatic bid to nationals this year, it was not handed to them.

"We probably won't be seeded high but in a way that is good because the team's had to work hard for what we've achieved," UA head coach Becky Bell said.

"It's been a rocky road in comparison to last year," Allegre said. "It seems like all the little things worked out in the end because of all the hard work and team unity."

Bell said the team's play in its last month was the best tennis it has played all season. Pulling off two upset victories over Texas and Arizona State.

Plus, junior Vicky Maes reached the finals of the Pac-10 Conference Championships.

With two seniors this year, compared to it's lone senior last season, the team has added experience. They also have the added experience of sophomores Karen Goldstein, the team's second best singles player, and Monique Allegre this time around.

"The team is more mature," Allegre said. "Throughout the year we've been communicating better, which leads to more encouragement because there is more interaction between the players."

The NCAAs end Khristen Pietrucha and Stephanie Sammaritano's careers.

"Steph is such a giver and a great team person, " Bell said. "She brings the sort of intangible things to the team and people like that don't come along too often."