This afternoon the Belles will take on the University of Chicago Maroons in an important non-conference match.
The team is vying for an invitation to the Midwestern Meet next weekend, and defeating Chicago could play an important role in the committee's decision.
Earlier this season, Chicago defeated Kalamazoo, a prime conference opponent for the Belles.
If the Belles win today, they will add a decisive win to their record and will have indirectly defeated Kala-mazoo, an opponent they will not face until the end of the regular season.
Last year, the Belles beat Chicago in a close match.
"We are really looking forward to playing. They will be really good competition," captain Kristen Palombo said.
The Belles haven't played any matches since spring break, when they traveled to Florida for a preseason tournament.
Their match last week was cancelled due to weather conditions and is rescheduled for Thursday of this week.
"We can't wait to play a match, we only hope that the good weather persists," Palombo said.
"We have been doing a lot of conditioning training since spring break because its hard to get indoor court time and we can't play in 30-degree weather. So we are really looking forward to just playing."
Although this Belles team is young, with sophomores holding the No. 3-6 singles seeds, players have risen to the challenge by starting the season off with a record of 3-4.
"The match experience in Florida really helped the sophomores," Palombo said.
"They are ready to go and anxious to play. They weren't seeded last year, so they are eager to get points for the team and get some wins under their belt."
