After one of the most successful starts in recent history, the Illinois women's tennis team is not letting up. The Illini travel to San Diego State this weekend to assert their dominance at the San Diego Invitational.

"I'm really confident that we can do well this weekend," said Illinois freshman Isabel Jarosz, who was one of two Illini to win titles at the Bronco Invitational at Western Michigan. "I'm just focusing on staying tough mentally."

"I wasn't expecting to win (at the Bronco Invitational)," Jarosz said. "It was absolutely amazing, and I'm happy to get my collegiate career started with such a strong performance."

Illinois head coach Sujay Lama is excited as well.

"The depth on the team is enormous this year," Lama said. "We have girls competing for each spot on the team. They're all pushing each other because they want to play better and get better."

Although the Illini are all competing for the No. 1 spot on the team, senior Jennifer McGaffigan still has a strong hold on that position. The co-captain won the Flight 'A' tournament crown at the Bronco Invitational, defeating Eastern Michigan's Victoria Domina 6-7, 6-3, 1-0 (6).

"I'm feeling good and like I'm playing well," McGaffigan said. "We've had some good practices and are ready to go."

McGaffigan is already predicting a successful tournament and season for her Illini.

"We're already ahead of where we were at this time last year," McGaffigan said. "We're playing really well this year and have two good recruits."

Illinois' early success can be attributed to the Illini's offseason dedication. Throughout the summer the women traveled to multiple tournaments.

"We worked really hard this summer, and it's starting to pay off," McGaffigan said.

The women's efforts in practice since the Bronco Invitational have helped them improve too.

"I'm looking to see the improvements they've made since the last time they competed," Lama said. "I'm waiting to see them dominate and finish off their opponents. They're ready to make a statement and have shown a killer instinct. They've been very capable of winning since day one."

Despite the team's determination, San Diego State, Pepperdine, Arkansas and San Diego will be formidable opponents. Pepperdine boasts No. 64 Natalie Braverman, while San Diego packs a punch with No. 77 Emma Murphy and No. 82 Lauren Perl.

Illinois counters with No. 44 McGaffigan and co-captain Tiffany Eklov, who checks in at No. 57.

"We have to focus on staying in the present and going for it," Lama said. "We have to have the mindset that we are going to dominate from the beginning and be a first-strike team. We have to dictate the match, come to the net and be aggressive."