MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The Milwaukee tennis team will look to add two in the win column this weekend as the team continues Horizon League play with matches against the Golden Grizzlies of Oakland and Titans of Detroit Mercy.
LAST TIME OUT: The Panthers opened league play last weekend (March 24-25) against the top two finishers in conference a season ago. On Saturday (March 24),
Nicole Clarke picked up her seventh match victory of the season and secured the only point in the 6-1 loss to reigning champions, Youngstown State. Milwaukee took the courts the following day and lost to Cleveland State 7-0.
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME: There's nothing like playing at home and the Panthers will look to continue its winning ways at River Glen Elite. Milwaukee currently holds a 4-2 record on their home turf. The Panthers will host Oakland Sat., March 31 with the first serve set at 1 p.m. At 1 p.m. the following day, Milwaukee and Detroit Mercy will go head-to-head.
GEARING UP FOR THE GRIZZLIES: Oakland currently stand 7-8, 11 splitting matches last weekend defeating IUPUI 7-0 and losing to 4-3 to UIC.
The team wrapped up it's 2016-17 campaign with an 8-13, 4-5 record and lost in the opening round of the Horizon League Championships to Detroit Mercy, 4-1.
This season, the team is led by sophomore Allison Motea. Motea garners Horizon League honors (second team) and was one of two freshmen to make the all-conference team. The Michigan native is currently 8-7 in singles play.
Freshman Darya Maltseva is 9-3, 2-0 on the year and has racked up wins at No.1-4 spots, but is 5-0 at the No. 2 spot. In doubles, Maltseva is paired up with Alexandra Whall and the duo are 5-8 in the No. 2 doubles position.
RALLY AGAINST THE TITANS: The Detroit Mercy Titans opened league play with a split last weekend as well defeating IUPUI 5-2 before falling to UIC 1-6. The team has faced common opponent Chicago State and while the Panthers won the dual 4-3, Detroit Mercy fell 3-4.
The Titans made it to the Horizon League semifinals a season ago before concluding its season with a loss to Youngstown State 4-0. The team finished with an 11-12 overall record, and 6-3 conference record.
Detroit Mercy graduated three seniors who combined for over half of their wins (38-69) last season. Juniors Pauline Van Herck and Iris Thioux return, however, who also accumulated double-digit wins.
Iris Thioux is just under .500 with a 9-10, 1-1 record competing at the No. 1 singles position. In doubles, she is teamed up with classmate Van Herck with a 5-5 record.
Van Herck has bounced around the No. 2 and No. 3 position, but holds a 5-12, 0-2 record so far this season.
NEXT UP: The Panthers jump back on the road next weekend as they travel to Ohio to face Wright State on Sat., April 7 at 2:30 p.m. central. UWM will face Northern Kentucky the following day with an 11 a.m. central start time. The team will then finish the regular season with three-straight matches at home hosting UIC, IUPUI and Green Bay.
