Talent cannot win alone. Every team needs someone to step up if it wants to win; every team needs a leader. Heading into Saturday’s home match against Marquette, everyone on the Illinois women’s tennis squad will be a leader.

After opening up their season with a 7-0 victory against Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton, Fla., the Illini will return to Urbana on Saturday to play at home for the first time since last April.

“I know the girls are super excited to play at home,” head coach Michelle Dasso said. “I think the home-court advantage can go a long way for us if we can get some fans out, and it can really get a little rowdy at Atkins.”

After a strong opening performance, sophomore Kristina Minor said there is no excuse for anyone on the team not to act like a leader this weekend.

“I don’t really believe in the whole seniors have to be leaders and everyone else has to be followers,” Minor said, reflecting the sentiments of the team. “It’s kind of like if you know what you are supposed to do, do it. If not, help someone else out. There’s no point in saying, ‘I am a sophomore so I don’t have to do anything.'”

Minor believes that she is just as much a leader as anyone else.

“If I am doing what I am supposed to be doing hopefully someone else will join in,” she said.

Dasso said the sophomore class, consisting of Minor, Megan Fudge and Leigh Finnegan, has been very vocal this year, but she believes the freshmen have done their part as leaders, too.

“I think the freshmen have done a great job picking up their weight,” Dasso said. “They don’t really act like freshmen on the court. Off the court they do. We will see how they respond at home in a tight situation.”

Freshman Marisa Lambropoulos said she has noticed leadership qualities emerge in many of the upperclassmen. Lambropoulos even said her roommate, junior Shivani Dave, called her late at night when she wasn’t in bed to make sure she was OK.

After spending a week in Florida with the team for spring training and performing well on the court, she feels more comfortable going into this weekend.

“It was definitely a confidence booster,” Lambropoulos said. “I think it was good to start off with a match like that and then work our way into harder and harder matches.”

The Illini have carried over their tough practices from spring training into this week and feel they have the advantage against Marquette at home.

“You can’t ask for anything more than a 7-0 start, but we definitely got worked (in training),” Minor said. “At home, we are used to the lighting, court speed and everything like that and fans always help. We are really motivated and ready to go. We beat them last year, so there’s no reason at all why we shouldn’t beat them this year.”