The womens tennis team showed the promise of an exciting regular season this past fall, and will be put to the test during their opener against tough opponent Illinois on Saturday.
During the fall season, Illinois State brought home four of ten titles at the MVC Championship, while no other school was able to capture more than two, and will open the spring season ranked number fifty-nine in the nation.
The success of doubles team Suurvarik/Mikalayeva was the highlight of the season for the Redbirds. The unstoppable pair open the season ranked number one in the midwest region and number fourteen in the nation. The pair captured the Regional Championship and were the first pair in the history of the tennis program at Illinois State to compete for the national title. At nationals, the pair made it as far as the semi-finals before being defeated by the eventual champions.
Head Coach Chris Hoover, MVC Coach of the year for the second straight year, is excited by the challenge that Illinois presents, and hopes the team will step up to the challenge. Illinois is currently ranked number twenty-nine in the region.
Illinois is a well respected team and has a beautiful facility, said Hoover. Were not one hundred percent healthy, which is frustrating. There are still some nagging injuries that are taking their toll, but this will be a good opportunity for us to see where we are, and well take things day by day.
The match at Illinois will take place this Saturday, January 19, at 10 a.m.
