Sept. 14, 2006
NORMAL, Ill. -
After some tough losses at the Billiken Classic last weekend, the Illinois State women's tennis team looks forward to dusting off the cobwebs and showing that they are ready to play at the Spartan Invitational in East Lansing, Mich. this weekend.
The tournament, set to start on Saturday and conclude on Sunday, will be a mock-dual format with each team facing three opponents in singles and three opponents in doubles. Participating teams include Michigan State, Ball State, Detroit Mercy, Morehead State, Illinois State, Indiana State, Eastern Michigan, and Saint Louis.
The Spartan Invitational is one that the `Birds have not been to in the past. Fellow Missouri Valley Conference team, Indiana State will also compete and give head coach Chris Hoover an indication of which players will be tough to beat in the regular season. Sharing the MVC crown in the 2005-2006 season, Illinois State and Indiana State both had a record of 8-1. This tournament will be the first time these teams will battle each other.
Matches will be played at the MSU Outdoor Tennis courts beginning at 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. In the event of rain, matches will be played at the MSU Indoor Tennis Facility.
###
