(UWIRE) WACO, Texas -- Take a glance at the trophy case inside the Baylor Tennis Center. A plethora of awards are proudly crammed in the corner of the seven-year-old facility.
The 2004 Men's National Championship trophy is illuminated as the centerpiece. But after taking a glimpse to the left, the accomplishments of the women's team are just as prominently displayed.
Two Big 12 Women's Championship trophies, from 2006 and 2007, help furnish the case. Plaques and pictures commemorating the Lady Bears' trips to the past three NCAA Quarterfinals also vie for space.
It's no secret that much like men's head coach Matt Knoll, women's head coach Joey Scrivano accomplished the task of consistently making his team a legitimate contender for not only a Big 12 Championship but also a national championship.
"We have a lot of tough players on this team," Scrivano said. "The players are really seeing that they are improving. It's not only showing up in their performance at practice, but it's showing up in the rankings."
The defending Big 12 Champions are the early favorites to retain the conference championship in April in College Station. But with only one senior on the squad, some doubt that 2008 is the Lady Bears' year to make a deep run at the NCAA Championships.
"You have got to take one step at a time," the fifth-year head coach said. "We can't get too ahead of ourselves. We obviously know that we're capable.
"But it's all about the next match that is ahead of you and focusing in practice."
The No. 13 Lady Bears (2-0) are currently preparing for the USTA/ITA National Women's Team Indoor Championship beginning Feb. 7 in Madison, Wis. The team was scheduled to travel to California last weekend to compete against the No. 3 University of California-Los Angeles and No. 18 Pepperdine University. But the trip was cancelled due to inclement weather.
Not only were the Lady Bears left without a weekend trip to the Golden State, but the postponement of the matches means the time between the Indoor Championships and Baylor's last match against the University of Hawaii has been elongated to more than a month.
"It's always better to play some matches before such a big tournament like the Indoor Championships," Kosice, Slovakia, senior Zuzana Zemenova said. "We are playing a lot of matches during practice like it's the real thing to help prepare us."
And with the fickle Texas weather the Lady Bears have had to deal with, the outdoor conditions are not exactly an ideal fit for preparations for an indoor competition. But the Lady Bears have made the best of the circumstances.
"I mean it's always good to practice in hard conditions," Banska Bystrica, Slovakia, sophomore Lenka Broosova said. "You're ready for anything no matter where or when you play."
Zemenova (No. 15) and Broosova (No. 18) are two of five Lady Bears ranked in the ITA Top 100. Hamilton, Ontario, freshman Taylor Ormond (No. 23), Prievidza, Slovakia, junior Jana Bielikova (No. 47) and Poznan, Poland, freshman Karolina Filipiak (No. 87) are also ranked.
Only No. 1 Georgia Tech, with six, has more players than Baylor on the list.
"It's a good situation to be in to have this many players that play at the highest level," Scrivano said. "That's been a goal of a program -- to develop players one through eight. I think we are starting to do that."
(C) 2008 The Lariat via U-WIRE
