UTM W-Tennis  |  Match Program (PDF)

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Eastern Illinois women's tennis will look to improve their Ohio Valley Conference mark as the Panthers are set to entertain league rival UT Martin at 2:15 p.m. Tuesday (April 9) afternoon at the Charleston High School courts.

The match, originally scheduled to be played at UT Martin last March 17, was rescheduled and relocated following that weather cancellation.  The two squads will be playing for possible seeding implications for the upcoming end-of-season league championship this coming April 19-21, with only the top six teams advancing.

The EIU women enter the match at 10-4 overall and own a 5-2 OVC mark to currently tie Jacksonville State for third place in the league standings.  The Panthers unfortunately fell at JSU last Saturday to give the Gamecocks the tiebreaker.

UTM, meanwhile, is 5-11 for the year and just below EIU in the standings at 4-2 in OVC action.

The Panthers are led by senior Merritt Whitley's 10-3 overall and 6-1 OVC singles records.  She has won five straight matches, including owning a 6-2 mark at the No. 3 spot in the lineup.

Sophomore Sephora Boulbahaiem follows at 10-4 overall and 5-2 in conference action, while seeing most of her play at No. 2 singles via a 7-3 record.

In doubles, Whitley is 8-3 overall, including a 7-3 tally when teamed with junior Janelle Prisner at the No. 1 spot.  Newcomer Ali Foster and senior Kristen Laird are a combined 8-1 at No. 3.

Following Tuesday's action, the women will rejoin the Panther men's squad for a pair of regular-season home finales versus Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State this coming Saturday and Sunday, respectively.   First serves are scheduled for 10 a.m. for the women and 2 p.m. for the guys each day.

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