This weekends Midwest Blast, hosted by the University of Illinois, will be the final tournament of the fall season for Illinois States womens tennis team.
The Birds did not choose an easy tournament to end with. Competing at the tournament are Georgia Tech, University of Minnesota, and host University of Illinois. The competition will feature a singles field of 32 players, and a doubles field of 16.
Four competing singles players and two doubles teams hold national rankings. Georgia Techs Jaime Wong (No. 38) and Catherine Gunn (No. 46), Minnesotas Valerie Vladea (No. 80), and Illinois States Liina Suurvarik (No. 94) will all be competing for the singles title. The doubles competition will feature Illinois States duo of Liina Suurvarik and Alesia Mikalayeva (No. 19) as well as Minnesotas team of Valerie Vladea and Michaela Havlekova (No. 29).
Absent from the competition will be host University of Illinois number one doubles team of Michelle Webb and Jennifer McGaffigan. The duo is competing this weekend at the Omni Hotels Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Indoor Championships.
Illinois States head coach Chris Hoover is glad the tournament will be tough.
A tournament that features such talent is sure to bring good experience, said Hoover. Im confident, though, that well be able to hold our own and put on a good showing. This is a good tournament to end on in preparation for the regular season.
Competition kicks off on Friday, November 8th at the Atkins Tennis Center and will run through Sunday, November 10th.
