Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Men's Tennis set for three match road trip
04/05/2010 | 12:00:00 | Men's Tennis
April 5, 2010
www.SIUSalukis.com
MATCH INFORMATION

Date(s): April 7, 10-11
Location: Charleston, Ill., Omaha, Neb., Des Moines, Iowa
Site(s): Darling Courts, Koch Family Outdoor Tennis Center, Knapp Tennis Center
Head Coaches: Dann Nelson (76-61 overall; 58-47 at SIU); John Blackburn (47-53 overall and at Eastern Illinois); Tom Lilly (118-151 overall and at Creighton); Jimmy Borendame (11-7 overall and at Drake) - Division I records only
Saluki Assistant Coaches: Hugo Vidal (Graduate Assistant)
NET NOTES
The Southern Illinois Men's Tennis team is in its 87th year of existence... Head Coach Dann Nelson is in his fifth season with the team and holds a 58-47 (.552) mark with the Salukis... SIU enters 2010 as the defending Missouri Valley Conference champions after an 18-7 (5-1 MVC) mark in 2009... The Salukis captured their first MVC crown since 1990 by defeating Drake, 4-3, in the MVC Tournament title match... In the NCAA Tournament, the Dawgs fell to #7 UCLA in the first round, 4-0... The Salukis 18 victories were the most since 1977, when they won a program record 21 matches... The 2009 squad's .720 winning percentage is the best since 1972 (.875).
ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
The Salukis will pull off a three-match road trip in less than a week, as they make a short trip Wednesday to battle the Eastern Illinois Panthers in Charleston, Ill. They follow that up with two MVC matches against Creighton on Saturday and Drake on Sunday.
SCOUTING BRADLEY
The Panthers have struggled for the most part in 2010, as they hold a 4-13 record heading into Wednesday's match. Led by fifth year head coach John Blackburn, Eastern's lone wins have come against IPFW, SIU-Edwardsville, IUPUI, and Tennessee State. The Panthers feature two Charleston, Ill., natives on their roster - senior Anthony Ippolito and freshman Andy Bays.
SCOUTING CREIGHTON
The Bluejays enter Saturday's match with a 9-4 mark on the season, though four of those wins have come at the expense of non-Division I schools. Head coach Tom Lilly is in his 12th season leading Creighton, where he was also a player and an assistant coach before taking the reins in 1997. Sophomore J.T. Christian, a transfer from Marquette, paces the Jays' with an 11-1 record in singles.
SCOUTING DRAKE
Drake has posted an 11-7 mark so far in the 2010 campaign, though their 23 MVC match winning streak was snapped Saturday at the hands of Wichita State. Jimmy Borendame leads the Bulldogs after five seasons as an assistant coach at Virginia Tech. Four Bulldogs - Mauricio Ballivian, Jean Erasmus, Jonathan Hadash, and James McKie - have won at least 10 matches in singles so far this season.
THE LAST TIME...
SIU defeated Eastern Illinois, 6-0, on April 11, 2009, while they defeated Creighton in the first round of the MVC Tournament and Drake in the MVC title match.
MVC OPENERS
THE REMATCH
Drake will be looking for a slight measure of revenge Sunday when they face the Salukis. Not only did Southern defeat the top-seeded Bulldogs in the MVC Tournament, but they also ended Drake's run of four consecutive MVC men's tennis titles.
HOME AWAY FROM HOME
The Salukis have posted an impressive 6-2 mark in Omaha, Neb., since Dann Nelson took over the program in 2006. Among those wins are three against Creighton and last season's MVC Championship.
