MONROE - The Monroe boys tennis team is looking to reverse its fortunes in the Badger Conference boys tennis tournament.
Madison Edgewood (6-0 Badger South) enters play Friday at the University of Wisconsin's Nielsen Tennis Stadium as the favorite. Monroe went 2-4 to finish fifth in the Badger South, but coach Brad Saugstad said with a strong tournament, the Cheesemakers could overtake Milton (4-2) and Monona Grove (3-3) for third place overall in the conference.
"We want to pull a few upsets," Saugstad said. "The season hasn't quite gone the way we had hoped. Our goal is to turn some of those things around. As a team we hope to jump ahead of Milton and Monona Grove for third in the conference."
Monroe isn't expected to have any singles players or doubles teams get first-round byes. Saugstad hopes his athletes can play their way into several of Saturday's semifinal matches.
"There really is no pressure on our team," Saugstad said. "They really have nothing to lose playing this weekend. They have to go up there and play loose."
The Cheesemakers tied Fort Atkinson for fifth at the conference tournament last season and also tied the Blackhawks for third in the Badger South in 2011. Junior Taylor Soddy finished fourth at No. 1 singles last year.
Saugstad expects Soddy to contend for a top-three finish.
"He has always been a defensive tennis player, where he forces his opponent into a lot of mistakes," he said.
"The top players don't make as many mistakes. It's just trying to find that right mix of being aggressive and defensive. Any of the top four seeded players could beat the other one on any given day."
With four freshmen in the starting lineup, the Cheesemakers are one of the league's youngest teams. Saugstad has seen each freshman made significant progress with his game this spring.
"This will be a good experience," he said. "Playing at Nielsen for the first time can be nerve-wracking. It's just a different atmosphere. There are a lot more fans and they are all sitting above you."
Madison Edgewood (6-0 Badger South) enters play Friday at the University of Wisconsin's Nielsen Tennis Stadium as the favorite. Monroe went 2-4 to finish fifth in the Badger South, but coach Brad Saugstad said with a strong tournament, the Cheesemakers could overtake Milton (4-2) and Monona Grove (3-3) for third place overall in the conference.
"We want to pull a few upsets," Saugstad said. "The season hasn't quite gone the way we had hoped. Our goal is to turn some of those things around. As a team we hope to jump ahead of Milton and Monona Grove for third in the conference."
Monroe isn't expected to have any singles players or doubles teams get first-round byes. Saugstad hopes his athletes can play their way into several of Saturday's semifinal matches.
"There really is no pressure on our team," Saugstad said. "They really have nothing to lose playing this weekend. They have to go up there and play loose."
The Cheesemakers tied Fort Atkinson for fifth at the conference tournament last season and also tied the Blackhawks for third in the Badger South in 2011. Junior Taylor Soddy finished fourth at No. 1 singles last year.
Saugstad expects Soddy to contend for a top-three finish.
"He has always been a defensive tennis player, where he forces his opponent into a lot of mistakes," he said.
"The top players don't make as many mistakes. It's just trying to find that right mix of being aggressive and defensive. Any of the top four seeded players could beat the other one on any given day."
With four freshmen in the starting lineup, the Cheesemakers are one of the league's youngest teams. Saugstad has seen each freshman made significant progress with his game this spring.
"This will be a good experience," he said. "Playing at Nielsen for the first time can be nerve-wracking. It's just a different atmosphere. There are a lot more fans and they are all sitting above you."
