| MEN hosts TENNESSEE STATE & BELMONT |
| Details | vs. TSU ... 1 p.m. | Sat., Apr. 12, 2014 | CHS Tennis Courts | Match Program (PDF) |
| vs. BEL ... 10:30 a.m. | Sun., Apr. 13, 2014 | CHS Tennis Courts | Match Program (PDF) |
| EIU info | 6-8 (3-4 OVC) ... News | Roster | Schedule | Statistics |
| TSU info | 0-13 (0-7 OVC) |
| BEL info | 8-9 (6-1 OVC) |
| WOMEN hosts TENNESSEE STATE & BELMONT |
| Details | vs. TSU ... 10 a.m. | Sat., Apr. 12, 2014 | CHS Tennis Courts | Match Program (PDF) |
| vs. BEL ... 10:30 a.m. | Sun., Apr. 13, 2014 | CHS Tennis Courts | Match Program (PDF) |
| EIU info | 9-4 (3-4 OVC) ... News | Roster | Schedule | Statistics |
| TSU info | 0-13 (0-8 OVC) |
| BEL info | 3-13 (1-7 OVC) |
CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Eastern Illinois men's and women's tennis will finish up the regular-season this coming weekend as the Panthers host Ohio Valley Conference foes Tennessee State and Belmont on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Action will take place at the CHS courts in Charleston, Ill.
The Panther men enter with a 6-8 overall and 3-4 league tally, as EIU currently ties for sixth place in the OVC standings. Only the top six squads will advance to the end-of-season league tournament in Paducah, Ky., next week, so at least one victory this weekend should help the guys solidify a spot into the tourney field.
The Eastern women, meanwhile, own a 9-5 overall and 3-5 OVC record and currently sit outside the league tourney field as they tie for seventh place, but the Panthers still have a chance to advance to the the squad's third consecutive OVC tournament.
The Saturday match between EIU and TSU will be split into a 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. starts for the women and men, respectively, while the finale versus the Bruins on Sunday has been moved up to a 10:30 a.m. start for both units due to possible inclement weather in the area that afternoon.
QUICK SET ON THE PANTHERS
Senior Kevin Bauman leads the Panther men with a 9-5 overall record, as he has split his play between No. 5 (4-4) and No. 6 (5-1) singles. He also owns a team-best 5-2 tally in OVC-only action. Sophomore Robert Skolik follows with his own 8-5 record at both No. 3 and No. 4 singles play, going 4-3 in OVC action.
The sophomore duo of Ryan Henderson and Rui Silva sport a nice 9-3 overall record at No. 2 doubles, which includes a 4-1 league mark.
For the women, sophomore Ali Foster continues to shine for the Panthers with an impressive 10-4 No. 4 singles tally, tying newcomer Kelly Iden with a 4-4 OVC mark. In doubles, Foster has joined classmate Hannah Kimbrough at the No. 2 spot with the twosome going 9-4 thus far this year.
Iden enjoys her own 9-5 singles tally, including a perfect 5-0 record at the No. 3 spot in the lineup, while senior Janelle Prisner and junior Sephora Boulbahaiem continue to lead their squad at the top of the doubles lineup off their 10-2 record.
SENIOR RECOGNITION ON SUNDAY
Prior to the Sunday dual with Belmont, the Panthers will honor a trio of seniors -- Kevin Bauman, Janelle Prisner and Vova Zverkovsky -- for their four year contributions to the EIU tennis programs.
QUOTING THE EIU COACHING STAFF
"We are entering the weekend very focused on our own tennis and what matters the most to us," said director of tennis/women's coach John Blackburn. "We are looking to play at the highest level possible and we hope that will lead to our best tennis of the season. We are also focused on playing tennis that embodies the qualities that senior Janelle Prisner plays with -- hard work, toughness, and great competitive spirit.
"Janelle's presence on our team these last four years has raised the standards of EIU women's tennis," added Blackburn. "By that I mean the way she goes about her work in the classroom, as a campus leader, and athlete is absolutely top notch and I think it has inspired others to contribute at higher level and that has meant some great things for our program. She has collected a lot of wins for our team but who she is as a person has made an even bigger contribution."
"We are really looking forward to ending the season with some momentum as we head into the OVC Tournament next week," said associate tennis director/men's head coach Eric Stark. "We have the opportunity this weekend to put a final statement on the OVC season.
"I expect the energy to be electric on senior day as both Kevin and Vova have done some great things in their time here, and have turned into great team leaders," Stark added. "I expect nothing less from them this weekend. These guys have been the heart and soul of the team and are setting this team up for a successful future. We can't wait for this weekend."
"Vova and Kevin have made a tremendous impact on the men's tennis team," Blackburn added. "They have won a lot of big matches for us but I think the intangibles they bring to the table are even more significant. It's hard to imagine a practice without the two of them there because of the constant energy and excitement they bring. Both of them play extremely hard and I almost never see them take a point, drill, or set off in anything they do and that is one of the biggest things you look for in a player. They have tremendous passion for the game that has lifted us up the last 4 years, the leadership and energy they bring will be tough to replace but we will be proud to call them alumni of our program."
A LOOK AT THE WEEKEND COMPETITION
The men and women of Tennessee currently sit winless on the season, while the Belmont squads are a tale of two squads, with the men sitting in second place in the league standings at 8-9 overall and 6-1 in OVC action, but the Bruin women are out of OVC-contention in tenth place via 3-10/1-7 records.
LOOKING AHEAD
Both Panther units will hope to earn a spot into the six-team field of the OVC Tournament, which will be played down in Paducah, Ky., from April 17-19.
... for more info, contact Bart Rettberg, Asst. SID
