A young 13th-ranked Kentucky women?s tennis team begins its initial stint in the ITA National Team Indoor Championships Thursday against eighth-ranked Northwestern. The match is set for a 9 a.m. CST start at the A.C. Nielsen Tennis Stadium on the campus of Wisconsin.

Eighth-year UK Head Coach Mark Guilbeau brings his Kentucky team to the Indoors for the second time in as many seasons, though this time around, he brings an entirely new lineup to Madison. Leading the way is 23rd-ranked Aibika Kalsarieva, who this time a season ago was playing for Lewis & Clark State of the NAIA. Thursday, Kalsarieva likely faces the challenge of dueling the ITA?s fourth-ranked player, Northwestern?s Cristelle Grier. Last Saturday, Kalsarieva took on Duke?s fifth-ranked Amanda Johnson. Northwestern also features the ITA?s 36th-ranked player in Jessica Rush.

Kentucky sustained an opening-round loss to Duke at the 2003 Indoors before defeating Texas A&M and falling to William & Mary in consolation play.

Kentucky dealt Northwestern a 4-3 defeat a season ago in Lexington.