NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Eastern Illinois men's and women's tennis squads opened Ohio Valley Conference action on Saturday sweeping Tennessee State in dual meet action by scores of 6-1 and 7-0, respectively.

The sweep ups the Panther men to 2-8 overall, while the Eastern women improve to 5-3 on the year as both EIU units picked up the all-important doubles point.

In singles action, the Panther women won all six of their respective matches. That included freshmen Janelle Prisner and Jennifer Kim each won, as did sophomore Merritt Whitley, and juniors Amanda Dibbs, Shannon Brooks and Annie Egan.

While the men were victorious in all but one of the squad's singles matchups. Winners were juniors Matyas Hilgert, Jamie Firth, sophomore Warren Race, and freshmen Charlie Dryden and Kevin Bauman.

The Eastern men return to the court on Sunday (March 20), traveling to Cookeville, Tenn., to face fellow league rival Tennessee Tech.

Meanwhile, both teams will join back up when they travel to Jacksonville, Ala., for a Wednesday morning contest at perennial league power Jacksonville State.

EIU Men 6, TSU Men 0
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Tiger Courts in Nashville, Tenn.

Singles
1. Lawrence Washington (TSU) def. Michael Sperry (EIU) - 6-4, 6-3
2. Warren Race (EIU) def. Shaun Ingram (TSU) - 6-0, 6-1
3. Matyas Hilgert (EIU) def. Skyler Dowdy (TSU) - 6-0, 6-0
4. Jamie Firth (EIU) def. Gregory Ruffin (TSU) - 6-3, 6-3
5. Kevin Bauman (EIU) def. Charles Coleman (TSU) - 6-0, 6-0
6. Charlie Dryden (EIU) won by forfeit

Doubles
1. Hilgert/Firth (EIU) def. Washington/Ingram (TSU) - 8-6
2. Sperry/Dryden (EIU) def. Dowdy/Ruffin (TSU) - 8-0
3. Not played

Match Notes: EIU 2-8 (1-0 OVC); TSU 0-6 (0-2 OVC)
... Ohio Valley Conference contest

EIU Women 7, TSU Women 0
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Tiger Courts in Nashville, Tenn.

Singles
1. Janelle Prisner (EIU) def. Krystan Mason (TSU) - 6-0, 6-1
2. Jennifer Kim (EIU) def. Shardel Suber (TSU) - 6-0, 6-0
3. Merritt Whitley (EIU) def. Khadijah Williams (TSU) - 6-0, 6-0
4. Amanda Dibbs (EIU) def. Lezlie Knight (TSU) - 6-1, 6-0
5. Shannon Brooks (EIU) def. Kwetma Mensah (TSU) - 6-0, 6-1
6. Annie Egan (EIU) def. Brittany Dawson (TSU) - 6-0, 6-0

Doubles
1. Whitley/Cara Huck (EIU) def. Mason/Suber (TSU) - 8-0
2. Prisner/Dibbs (EIU) def. Williams/Knight (TSU) - 8-1
3. Brooks/Kristen Laird (EIU) def. Mensah/Dawson (TSU) - 8-0

Match Notes: EIU 5-3 (1-0 OVC); TSU 0-5 (0-2 OVC)
... Ohio Valley Conference contest

... for more info, contact Bart Rettberg, Asst. SID