Heavenly Seven: Women's tennis rolls on with 2 wins against ranked competition

When you're a school in the Big East Conference, there's usually just one sport that dominates all others for campus supremacy: men's basketball. It's a monopoly that allows other sports to be forgotten. But the women of the DePaul women's tennis team are making a case that won't easily be passed up.

After dropping the first game of the season to No. 15 Vanderbilt, the women's tennis team responded by winning in impressive fashion. They rattled off seven wins in a row, defeated two ranked opponents in the process, and left four of them scoreless leaving them hanging on the verge of achieving a national ranking—something they haven't done since reaching the Big East Tournament in 2010.

"It's an amazing start," said reigning Big East Player of the Week Yasmin Kling. "We lost our first match then we went on to win seven in a row. We terminated our opponents."

In the middle of their unbelievable win streak, the women of DePaul's tennis team continue to make their case for a Campbell's/ITA Collegiate ranking.

They've had two players, Kling and Rebeca Mitrea, win Big East Player of the Week honors back to back, and defeated No. 37 ranked NC State last weekend. The win made NC State the team's second nationally ranked defeat in three matches. They're attempting to reach the NCAA Tournament for only the programs second time.

"It's been challenging but at the same time it's been motivating. I love it," said freshman Patricia Fargas. "I love to compete, support my teammates and I love the pressure."

Even though they have demonstrated a case for all the attention the team is humble about their victories and the streak.

"That's enough," Kling said pointing to a poster on the wall illustrating the team's key victory over No. 37 NC State.

That attitude is best exemplified by the way the team approaches the season.

The success they've enjoyed, as they put it, is due in large part to the unique relationship that they share as a team.

Every weekend, the players get together for some off the court fun. They attend games of DePaul's other athletic teams, give each other advice and enjoy life as college students. And it makes a difference.

"It helps a lot," Fargas said. "If the team wasn't as close as it was, we would have lost playing a ranked team last weekend. In my match last week, my team was there to cheer me on. Without them, I would have lost."

But even in winning, they refuse to lose sight of the goal ahead of them. They're very serious about getting to where they need to be in order to be as successful as the last time they had a season like this year's.

"We've only gone through a third of our season," said Fargas. "We need to prove more to people."