After cruising to a 6-1 win over NAU last weekend, the No. 34 women’s tennis team will get its first look at ranked competition this season in a weekend trip to Colorado.
The Wildcats (1-0) will play Colorado (1-0) today in Boulder, Colo., at 3 p.m. and then make the half-hour trip down the road to the University of Denver on Saturday to take on the Pioneers (1-1) at 4 p.m.
While the state of Colorado has been experiencing weekly snow storms accompanied by frigid temperatures, the Wildcats will not need to worry about battling the snowy elements because both matches are scheduled to be played in indoor facilities. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be cold.
“”We’re not sure whether the facilities are heated,”” said UA assistant coach Brian Ramirez. “”I think one of them might be a bubble.””
Because bubbles are simply inflatable roofs for tennis courts, it is not likely that this facility will be heated.
Another element the Wildcats will be dealing with is Colorado’s thin air.
Because of the state’s high elevation, the low air density allows the ball to float through the air with less resistance, which can be difficult for visiting opponents to get used to.
“”I’ve never played in Colorado,”” said sophomore Danielle Steinberg. “”But we’re getting there a day early, so we will have a chance to practice and get used to”” the conditions.
While the Buffaloes may have the weather advantage, Arizona carries the experience factor, as Colorado carries a lone senior, and sports four newcomers.
“”Anytime you’ve got teams that are really young, it helps,”” Ramirez said of CU. “”The teams just don’t have a lot of match experience.””
The Wildcats, on the other hand, boast four upperclassmen and two sophomores, one of whom is Steinberg, the team’s captain.
Arizona’s experience will be beneficial against Denver, a team the Wildcats beat 6-1 last year at Robson Tennis Center.
The lineups for both teams will be very similar, but because both No. 1 singles players from the two schools graduated last year, it is very possible that Danielle Steinberg and Denver’s Annette Aksdal will meet for a second time.
“”She is a good girl,”” Steinberg said. “”But seeing her before should definitely work to my advantage.””
Ramirez said he was encouraged by last week’s performance, and added that he could see that they’re only getting stronger.
“”They have shown great improvement,”” he said, “”and we want to continue to see the girls complete really well in terms of the emotional and mental aspects of the game.””
