NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State's postseason tournament hopes rest on Wednesday outcome of its Summit League match with Oral Roberts, as a win for the Redbirds keep their Summit League Tournament chances alive with more matches yet to play this weekend that will decide the seeding. First serve is set for noon CT at the Gregory Street Courts in Normal.
"This match could very well be the biggest one of the year," ISU head coach Mark Klysner said. "For one, it could have huge implications as to who goes to the conference tournament. Second, it's going to be a special day as we get to recognize our lone senior, Melker Isaksson. What a fantastic career he has had, and we really want to get him a nice win on his day."
The Redbirds (9-12, 1-2 Summit League) are coming off a loss to No. 66 ranked Denver on Sunday, which makes Wednesday's match even more important. Denver jumped out to a quick lead in the doubles with a win at the No. 3 spot, however the Redbirds knotted things up at the No. 1 spot as the team of Adrian Dibildox and Arvid Hjalte defeated Charlie Miller and Peter Sallay by a score of 6-4. That left the deciding match to court No. 2, where Denver won in a close tiebreaker to secure the doubles point. Â In singles play, Dibildox secured the lone victory for the Redbirds as he won in straight sets over Denver's Raffaello Papajcik 6-4, 6-1.Â
Oral Roberts (6-16, 0-4 Summit League) is looking to break a five-match losing streak when it takes the court against the Redbirds. The Golden Eagles are coming off a close 4-3 loss to Creighton that saw the Bluejays overcame an early deficit to capture the victory at the Bernis Duke Tennis Center in Tulsa, Okla.
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Â Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
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