Only a few weeks into the fall season, UW women’s tennis head coach Jill Hultquist is already feeling good about her squad. In comparison to last year, Hultquist simply said that her team looks “a lot better.”

“We’re out there at practice, and they’ve come back a lot sharper than they usually come back,” the fifth-year head coach said. “It’s been easier because we’ve been together, so they know each other’s games, and in doubles, it’s even better.”

With her entire roster identical to last year’s, no one can blame Hultquist for feeling comfortable with her players. They will be put to the test this weekend at the Saint Mary’s Collegiate Invitational in Moraga, Calif.

Top singles star Venise Chan and co-captain Denise Dy will be staying in Seattle to rest. Last week, Chan established herself as one of the top players in the Pac-10 and the nation as she advanced all the way to the semifinals of the ITA All-American Championships. Because of her play, the junior from Hong Kong earned an automatic bid to the ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships.

Dy also played well last week, competing in singles as well as teaming up with fellow co-captain Joyce Ardies in the doubles bracket. The duo made it all the way to the quarterfinals, the best finish ever for a Husky doubles team.

Senior Aleksandra Malovic will be taking Dy’s place and will team up with Ardies this weekend. The entire squad will be traveling, as senior Lauren Summers and sophomore Ashley Anderson will see playing time.

“It’s a good chance for girls to get into match play and compete against some of the new girls that are out there,” Hultquist said of the fall tournaments.

Play gets underway today and lasts until Monday. Following the St. Mary’s Invitational is the competitive ITA Regional Championships, which begin Oct. 23.

WOMEN’S GOLF

After a disappointing finish at last week’s Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational, the UW women’s golf team has been regaining its confidence and will put it to the test as they begin play today at the Stanford Intercollegiate.

The tournament features some of the top teams in the Pac-10 and the nation. No. 1 USC, No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Arizona State and No. 7 California, which took medalist honors at the Edean Ihlanfeldt last week, will all be competing.

“It’s a great tournament,” 27th-year head coach Mary Lou Mulflur said. “You want to play with the best.”

The ladies are coming off their sixth-place finish last week in the first tournament of the year. Junior Anya Alvarez, who had the lowest scoring average last year, was the top Husky finisher and tied for 10th overall. Last year at the Stanford Intercollegiate, the native of Jenks, Okla., led the Huskies with a three-round total of 218.

Practice this week has been about getting the confidence back and staying mentally strong.

“I’m trying to reassure them to keep their confidence,” Mulflur said. “[The Edean Ihlanfeldt] was only one tournament, and I’m trying to keep their spirits up.”

Mulflur said she’s told her players this week that in golf, you must give up control to gain it. Last week, the players tried to control the things they couldn’t and ended up trying too hard.

Though the fall tournaments aren’t of importance to the NCAA championships, Mulflur still sees them as learning opportunities.

“Spring season is our championship season, and that’s when the real stuff begins,” she said. “But at the same time, you have to work every day preparing for that championship season. You can’t blow it off. Everything we’re doing now is going to have an impact for April and May, so we have to pay attention to what we’re doing now.”

Reach reporter Taylor Soper at sports@dailyuw.com.