"We have made a lot of progress, but we still have a long ways to go." Bietau said.
His team is currently preparing for the Arkansas Invitational, its third tournament of the season. The tournament begins Oct 2 and runs through the weekend.
It will be yet another opportunity for Bietau to evaluate the progress of his young team.
The fall season, unlike the spring, is heavily focused on the development of the team.
That progress was seen at the Wildcats most recent Hoosier Classic in Indiana on Sept 25. Freshman Maryna Chumak, according to Bietau, has made significant progress during the two fall tournaments. Chumak has won two matches this fall, one in Wichita at the Fall Shocker Classic.
"Out of the four freshmen Chumak is probably leading the group just in terms of progress," Bietau said.
With the need for progress among the younger players on the team larger than it has been in several years, Bietau has looked towards senior Natasha Vieira for leadership during the fall developmental tournaments.
Viera has won three matches during the fall, both coming during the Hoosier Tournament last weekend.
Yet Bietau said he is not concerned with wins and losses during the fall.
"She is a strong leader, she helped us make a lot of progress last year and that's continuing right now," Bietau said.
Chumak said that with her experience last season, she is embracing the role as a leader on this young squad as they complete its fall season and prepare for the spring, which begins Jan 31 when the Wildcats travel to Des Moines to compete against Drake University.
Chumak was elected to serve as the team captain on last season's squad. That honor began her term as a leader on Bietau's team.
"I started [being a leader] last year," Chumak said. "Now I know what I have to do to make them (the freshman) better."
Her teammates have noticed as well. Sophomore Petra Chuda has seen throughout the fall season the need for the experienced players to guide the freshmen through the first two fall tournaments.
"It's very important," She said. "Especially with Natasha (Vieira). She is trying to push them (the freshman) as much as she can."
The Wildcats will look to improve on that leadership and growth of their team this weekend as the theme of their fall season plays out.
"I'm happy with the group, they have done well so far." Bietau said. "This will be a good test this weekend."
