"I'm very proud of our team and it is nice to have the season last another day."

Matt McCaskill, UWM head coach

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's tennis team entered the Horizon League Championships with a chance to make history. And despite dropping its first match 4-0 to Cleveland State, the Panthers did just that.

Following the loss to CSU, the Panthers defeated Wright State with a 4-1 win. The victory marked the team's first in a league tournament match since 2000, and also set a new Division I school record for wins in the process.

More importantly, the Panthers stayed alive in the tournament and advanced to the fifth-place match.

Elizabeth Angel, Lauren Fenley and Ali O'Neal earned singles victories for the Panthers, all in straight sets. The win was O'Neal's 18th singles victory of the season, a school record.

In No. 1 doubles, O'Neal teamed up with Kari Kastenholz for an 8-6 win. The No. 3 doubles match saw Fenley and Angel team up for an 8-2 win as well.

"I'm very proud of our team and it is nice to have the season last another day," UWM head coach Matt McCaskill said afterward.

"It's been a very good year and these players deserve the chance to keep on playing," he said.

The Panthers got that chance in their fifth-place match against Youngstown State. Freshman Ali O'Neal led the charge again, earning her school the record capturing the 19th singles victory of the season.

The Panthers defeated YSU with a 4-1 win, and earned its best league tournament finish since 1998. Kelly Drvaric and Traci Litscher sealed it for the Panthers with an 8-5 win at No. 2 doubles.

When all was said and done UWM (19-10) had set a new school record total for victories.

McCaskill was pleased with the team“s effort this season.

"Overall this was a very good year and two wins in this tournament was a good way to finish it off. I am already looking forward to next year," he said.

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