Tennis Selected Fifth in Preseason Poll
 
MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The Horizon League announced the spring 2021 preseason poll Friday morning and the Milwaukee tennis team was predicted to finish in fifth place.
 
The Panthers finished 7-6 in the shortened 2020 season. All 13 matches were non-conference with the season being called right before league play due to the pandemic.
 
UIC polled first with 47 points and gathered six first place votes for 2021. The Flames finished 20-6 in 2019, including an 8-1 league mark. Youngstown State (42, 1) and Cleveland State (34) round out the top three, while Northern Kentucky (27), Milwaukee (24), Oakland (12) and IUPUI (10) round out the rest of the poll.
 
This weekend, the Panthers will kick of Horizon League play with back-to-back matches against Youngstown State beginning Saturday, March 13 at 10 a.m. at the YSU Tennis Center.
 
Last Time Out: The Panthers tallied two more wins last weekend over Eastern Illinois and UW-Whitewater to improve their overall record to 7-2.
 
In what has been a nail-biting match in the past with EIU, the Black & Gold took care of business this time around with a 6-1 victory.
 
Coach Jason Potthoff shuffled the lineup the next day, and the team came out victorious, 5-2 over Whitewater.
 
Scouting the Penguins: The five-time league champs enter league play 7-7 with recent wins over Western Illinois and Saint Francis, while falling to West Virginia last Wednesday.
 
The Penguin squad is led by freshman Eliska Masarikova and junior Elvira Esteo. Masarikova leads the pack at 9-3, and 5-3 from the No. 5 singles line. Esteo is 5-2 from the No. 4 singles line and 8-4 overall.
 
In doubles, YSU is 23-15 with Elvira Esteo and Cecelia Rosas leading the way. The pair have been dominate from the No. 1 doubles line at 10-4.
 
Tamara Teufl and Eliska Masarikova are 6-5 from the No. 2 line, and Lucia Zagar and Jessica Stanmore are 4-4.
 
By the Numbers: Senior Anna Daniel Fuentes leads the Panthers in singles play. She has racked up an 8-1 record, and is currently on a three-match win streak.
 
Freshman Greta Carbone continues to shine in her freshman campaign, coming in at 6-2 competing primarily from the No. 1 singles line.
 
In doubles, the Panthers hold an immaculate 21-5 combined record. In their nine matches, the Panthers have only failed to earn the doubles point once this season.
 
Two-time Horizon League Doubles Team of the Week, Mayya Perova and Nikki Milner lead Milwaukee with a 8-1 record from the No. 3 line and are currently on a seven-match win streak.
 
Anna Daniel Fuentes and Agata Jurzak enter league play with a 7-2 record from the No. 2 line, while freshmen duo Greta Carbone and Iva Stejskalova come in at 6-2 from the No. 1 line.
 
Home is Where the Heart Lies: When playing at River Glen Elite, the Panthers hold a 6-1 record, with their lone loss to Northern Illinois.
 
What's on Tap: Milwaukee has off the weekend of March 20-21, but will resume on the road as the team travels to Northern Kentucky March 27-28.