SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- USF head women's tennis coach Peter Bartlett has spent 25 years on the Hilltop working with both programs at various points in his tenure. The Dons women's program began to ascend during the early parts of the 2000's featuring athletes who won the WCC's Player of the Year and forging a team that was continually competing.

Fast forwarding to 2016 when injuries began to hamper the program's progress, Bartlett took the reigns and began piecing together a team of athletes that fit a particular mold. 

"When myself and Sean (Dizon) started to take over on the women's side that was probably one of our first solving points was how we would solve the injury rate," Bartlett explained. "The team was deep but we were not necessarily playing the best players every single match." 

As the transition to the new coaching staff began the results weren't instantly shown in wins and losses, as Bartlett's first season leading the women's program yielded just a pair of wins. While the results weren't favorable Bartlett's process remained the same and in turn created his focus on recruiting athletes that were dedicated to the sport.

"I think it was a transition that needed to happen in order for us to get to the next level," Dons graduate student Mya Bui said. 

"Obviously we were a team that needed a lot of work and he made it clear that we have a lot of moving pieces and injuries but I have this vision for the team and you're going to be a big part of that," USF senior Rita Colyer continued. 

Part of the efforts used by Bartlett in seeking new talent was using his current student-athletes as sounding boards on potential recruits. In order to overcome the struggles and the lack of victories the Dons sought prospective recruits who would be able to step in and help impact winning in a positive way. 

While USF was able to attract talented underclassmen to join the program, a key component of the team building process was finding student-athletes who enjoyed spending time around each other and going through the tough times as a unit. 

"He (Peter) really cares about who we are as people and that's what has just created such a positive and lush environment where we've all grown," Colyer said. "That's where we've been able to get these amazing results and grow from being a bottom ranked team to Top 70 in the country and that doesn't just happen off a win. That's true genuine love for your players and the people that they are." 

With the progress came wins and a vindication for the process that helped lead the Dons' program to this point. 

"I think the past couple of years we feel like we've gotten it right with our formula," USF women's tennis assistant coach Sean Dizon said. "The girls play for one another and that's a big thing that really helps them and I feel like they're hungry to have success."

The team building led to a strong return to the postseason this season as the Dons were able to reach the WCC Championship Semifinals following a first round victory over BYU. The win in the opening round marked USF's first trip back to the conference tournament in seven years.

"Playing tennis with your best friends just makes it so much more fun," Dons senior Caragh Courtney said. "You want to be there every second of it even if you're having a bad day and it's because you're with your best friends." 

While the Dons continued upward trajectory has been fun to witness, everyone involved with the program knows their room to grow. 

"We are embarking on wanting to be an NCAA qualification team," Bartlett said. "We want to be as high as we can in that WCC finish. These young ladies are wonderful and they've added a lot to my life personally, but not only that building them and everything they do on a daily basis is extremely rewarding." 

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