CHARLESTON, Ill. -- The Eastern Illinois men's and women's tennis squads head back to the court this weekend, as the Panther women head to Southern Illinois on Saturday (Feb. 16), while the EIU men will entertain Dayton on Sunday (Feb. 17).  First serves are set for 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.

Both Panther units will look to improve on identical 2-1 season marks.  The EIU men, who will play the Flyers at the nearby Danville Tennis Center indoor facility, are coming off an easy 9-0 road win at NAIA squad Saint Francis (Ill.), while the Panther women also picked up a victory at NCAA DII Missouri-St. Louis by the same score.

Junior Janelle Prisner leads all Panthers heading into the weekend with a perfect 3-0 singles mark at the top of the women's lineup.  She also sports a 2-1 duo record when teamed with senior Merritt Whitley at No. 1 doubles.

Sophomore Sephora Boulbahaiem sits at 2-1 in No. 2 singles, and when teamed with newcomer Hannah Kimbrough, also owns a 2-1 No. 2 duo record.

For the men, senior Michael Sperry and junior Kevin Bauman each sit at 2-1 in their respective No. 1 and No. 3 spot in Panther lineup.

While in doubles a pair of teams -- Sperry and Warren Race at No. 1; plus Bauman and Robert Skolik at No. 2 -- enjoy a 2-1 record in duos.

For the competition, the Southern Illinois women are 2-1 heading into the Saturday meet, having downed both Chicago State and Northern Illinois by 6-1 scores.

On the guys side, prior to facing IUPUI, the Dayton Flyers are 2-3 on the year, with includes 6-1 victories over both Robert Morris and Chicago State.

The Panther women will next be in action on Feb. 23-24, with consecutive road matches at Indianapolis and Bradley, respectively. The EIU men, meanwhile, will be off until March 1, when they are set to face Southern Illinois for a 3 p.m. road contest.

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