Sept. 11, 2008
NORMAL, Ill. -
Redbird women's tennis head coach Chris Hoover and his team are set to open their fall season Friday at the Mizzou Tiger Invitational in Columbia, Mo. The three-day invitational is set to feature both singles and doubles flights on the Green Tennis Center's courts.
After finishing the 2007-08 season with a record of 13-10, the Redbirds are looking forward to improving this season, with the ultimate goal of bringing the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Championship title back to Illinois State. The Redbirds have captured the title five times in the past eight years.
According to Hoover, the invitational is the first step in testing the team's skills. It is also the first step to preparing the team for the rest of the season.
"I look forward to seeing who's in tennis shape and ready to go," said Hoover. "This tournament will help in determining that."
The invitational roster for the Redbirds includes returning players Tanja Hrovatic, Julia Zubkova and Carmen Peters. Newcomers Hannah Esker, Franziska Steinhardt and Sarah Streitz will also join the Redbird roster this weekend.
"We are just looking forward to competing (after weeks of practice)," said Hoover. "This tournament will show us what we are doing right and what we can be doing better."
