MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The Milwaukee tennis team open its 2019 campaign this Sunday in Peoria, Ill. to take on Missouri Valley's Bradley Braves.
 
After a break from competitive action this fall, the Panthers spring back into action in Illinois with a dual against Bradley Sunday.
 
TIME & PLACE:  The Panthers and Braves will dual it out on Sunday, Jan. 20 beginning at 10 a.m. from the Clubs at River City in Peoria, Ill.
 
THIS SEASONS SQUAD: Head coach Jason Potthoff enters his second season at the helm with a full squad that consists of five returners and three newcomers.
 
The Panthers are another year older which entails of maturity and experience to this season's competitive squad. MKE lose one to graduation in Labina Petrovski, but senior transfer Alexandra Belle will resume a similar role in leadership and competitiveness at the No. 1 spot.
 
Belle comes to the Panthers after spending two seasons at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, and recently a year at Eastern Kentucky before EKU announced they were cutting the women's tennis program. While at Texas A&M CC helped both programs to conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearance. AT EKU, Belle accumulated a 21-12 singles record at the No. 1 position and 15-13 record in No. 1 doubles.
 
Junior Nicole Clarke has tallied double-digit wins in each of her two seasons as a Panther and went 13-11 (6-3) a season ago making her a valuable piece to the team.
 
Rounding out the roster, the Panthers return Anna Daniel Fuentes, Loren Nelson, Lucy Harper, Agatz Jurczak while adding Mayya Perova and Nikki Milner.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT:  The Braves finished the 2017-18 season with a 5-15, 2-3 record for third place.
 
Head Coach Matter Tyler enters his fifth season at the helm and ninth collegiately. Tyler lost three to graduation and most notably Alexa Brandt who went 14-17 for the Braves. Although the Braves graduated three from their 2017-18 squad, Tyler added Nina Marjanovic who transferred from St. John's and Natalia Barbey returns after taking a season off to focus on academics.
 
Sophomore Nina Marjanovic helped the Red Storm to a Big East Confereence Title and a berth the NCAA Tournament last season. The Serbian native primarily competed at the No. 5 & 6 positions and went 4-5, and 7-3 from the No. 3 doubles position.
 
Redshirt Junior Natalia Barbery, returns with a 20-33 overall singles record while accumulating 23 wins in doubles in the two years she competed prior with the Braves.
 
SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS: The Panthers will host a total of eight dual matches at River Glen Elite this season. In addition to the eight home matches, MKE will have three matches in the Milwaukee area – one at Cardinal Stritch, and two neutral sites at Marquette and Hartland, Wis.
 
UP NEXT: MKE will have its home opener next Friday (Jan. 25) as the team hosts the Northern Illinois Huskies and will follow-up with a dual against Omaha in Hartland, Wis. the next day.