It’s been about three months since the end of the spring season for the Michigan women’s tennis team. But for a squad that fell in the Sweet 16 after staying in the top five nationally all season, autumn couldn’t come soon enough.

In what is now being recognized as the best season in the program’s history, 2009-10 saw the Wolverines set an all-time record in wins (24), and notched their first Big Ten championship since 1997.

And after losing only one senior, Michigan appears poised to be a serious threat not just in the Big Ten, but in the nation.

Fourth-year head coach Ronni Bernstein leads a team that she feels is "nine-for-nine" when it comes to athletes who can compete. That depth, along with experience, should contribute substantially to the team’s success.

Bernstein — last season’s Big Ten Coach of the Year — hopes to use the fall as a time of assessment and evaluation in order to mold her lineups for dual-match play in the spring.

There are, however, a few spots that appear secure for spring season. After their outstanding play last season, seniors Denise Muresan, Rika Tatsuno and Whitney Taney all come in with high rankings and even higher expectations.

Muresan is ranked as the nation’s No. 12 singles player. Last year’s Big Ten Player of the Year, Muresan also became the second Wolverine in the program’s history to be named an All-American.

Muresan simply wants the team, as well as herself, to keep improving.

“Obviously I want to win every match, so I try not to think about (the ranking), but hopefully I’ll just improve it,” Muresan said.

Tatsuno and Taney have played the bulk of their doubles matches together since coming to Michigan. But it’s not until now that they’ve seen a single digit in front of their names. The No. 4 doubles team in the land will not only be leading the team again on the court, but the two were also elected as captains by their teammates — Taney for the second time.

“I’m honored to be captain for the second year in a row,” Taney said. “We have a great team and it’s really a great group of girls who competes hard, so everything goes smoothly and we have a lot of fun.”

“Anyone that comes and visits says how great our chemistry is, and I think it’s a huge part of why our program is heading in such a good direction,” Tatsuno said. “We rely on each other, and I think it’s really helps us.”

Added Muresan: “Our team is extremely close and I feel like everybody on our team has a leadership role.”

In addition to the three aforementioned seniors, Michigan also returns last year’s Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Mimi Nguyen. Junior Michelle Sulahian also came on strong last year, finishing second on the team in wins. The rest of the roster returns senior Kari Wig and sophomore Taylor Fournier, while freshmen Brooke Bolender and Sam Crister make up the nation’s No. 6 recruiting class.

Michigan opens its season in Florida this weekend at the Miami Fall Tournament, where all nine players will get a chance to play.

The senior-led squad is hoping their hard work and dedication pay off.

“As a team, we just have to put the rankings in the back of our heads,” Taney said. “We need to go out and do what we do, which is compete as hard as we can both on the practice court and in matches.”