Font ResizeA lot of athletes would like to be in Monica Milewski's tennis shoes right now. The Colorado senior isn't satisfied with the level she has been performing at during the fall campaign.
Yet Milewski's record in singles is 7-0 entering the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Mountain Regional, which begins today and runs through Sunday in Las Vegas.
"To be honest, I don't think I'm playing my best tennis," Milewski said. "I'm kind of just refusing to lose. I haven't played matches in a year and I'm trying to get my confidence back. But I'm excited for regionals to see if I have improved."
Last October Milewski was limping around campus with a cumbersome boot on her foot after sustaining a stress fracture. The injury
"It has been kind of quick getting back into things," she said. "It's my experience that's pulling me through right now. I'm confident in practices, but a little shaky in matches still with my confidence. I'm going out there and fighting the nerves. Playing competitive matches is different than practices."
Milewski and sophomores Madie Kern and Allison Wahba each won their respective singles flights at the recent Air Force Invitational. Milewski also won the CU Invitational and has a career record of 34-9 (.791) in fall matches.
"We've been doing well so far. The results have been good," Milewski said. "We've got four upperclassmen in the lineup and that experience definitely helps. We're a very close group and we have great chemistry."
Two other seniors, Camila Belassi and Melisa Esposito, and junior Abbie Probert will be joining Milewski in Las Vegas.
Milewski has moved up to 14th place on CU's all-time singles victories list (72).
Not far behind are Esposito with 64 wins (21st overall) and Belassi with 57 triumphs (24th overall).
In doubles, Milewski has cracked the top-five in school history with 65 wins, including an impressive 26-9 record in fall play. Esposito stands in sixth place with 61 victories; Belassi is 19th with 51 wins, and Probert is 24th with 40 wins.
"I'm not paying attention to that right now," Milewski said of her place in CU tennis history. "I'm not satisfied with that."
Big 12 win No. 1?
Is tonight the night?
CU's volleyball team, which is 5-11 overall and 0-7 in conference play, will try to give coach Liz Kritza her first Big 12 victory tonight when Texas Tech visits the Coors Events Center for a 7 p.m. game.
The Red Raiders (2-13, 0-6) are also winless in conference and enter the match on an eight-game skid. CU has dominated the all-time series, 22-4.
Becah Fogle leads CU offensively and ranks seventh in the Big 12, averaging 3.34 kills per set. Rosie Steinhaus and Kerra Schroeder rank second and third on the team with 2.51 and 2.33 kills per set, respectively. Kaitlyn Burkett has handed out 7.18 assists per set this year and is directing CU to a .151 attack percentage.
NCAA course preview
CU's cross country team will compete at the NCAA Pre-Nationals on Saturday in Terre Haute, Ind. The meet is a chance for the Buffs to preview the course for the NCAA Championship on Nov. 23.
Jenny Barringer is expected to compete and is the favorite to win an individual national championship on the women's side.
Notable
CU cross country teammates Joe Bosshard and Laura Thweatt were named the Big 12 runners of the week after each won their respective races at the Fort Hays State Open last Saturday. ... CU's soccer team is idle this weekend and still alone at the top of the Big 12 standings with a 5-2 conference mark. ... CU tennis coach Nicole Kenneally presented representatives from Healthlinks Foundation and the Boulder Community Hospital Foundation two checks totaling $12,800.00 that were generated at the 5th Annual Tennis Marathon in its fight against breast cancer.
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