Women's Tennis releases 2010-11 schedule
07/23/2010 | 12:00:00 | Women's Tennis
July 23, 2010
By Michael Benson
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill.-Coming off their second consecutive top four finish in the Missouri Valley Conference, the Saluki women's tennis team released their 2010-11 schedule Friday.
Highlights for the season include seven home matches and a trip to Hilton Head, S.C., in addition with the team's first fall event in Carbondale since 2004.
"This year's schedule has some real challenging duals on it," said head coach Audra Nothwehr. "I think it will allow us to build up our level to peak at the perfect time."
The squad begins the year with four fall tournaments, including the Saluki Fall Draw on Oct. 17 at the University Courts. In addition, the Dawgs will compete in the Austin Peay Tournament in Clarksville, Tenn. (Sept. 24-26), the MVC Individual Championships in Normal, Ill. (Oct. 8-10), and the ITA Central Regional Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. (Oct. 21-25).
SIU will begin spring play on Jan. 28, when the head to the Kenlake Tennis Center to take on Big East power Louisville. The Salukis and Cardinals also met last season in Louisville, as UL emerged with a 7-0 sweep on Jan. 30.
Southern Illinois will open their home slate on Feb. 18, as the host the Panthers of Eastern Illinois in a 3 p.m. tilt.
Other schedule highlights include:
- The team will travel to Hilton Head, S.C., for their annual spring break trip. There, they will face off with Charleston Southern (March 15), South Carolina State (March 16), and Georgia Southern (March 18). This will be the first time that the Dawgs will travel to the resort city in Nothwehr's tenure.
- The Salukis close out March with their MVC opener, as they head to southwest Indiana to battle the Evansville Aces. Their home MVC opener follows on April 9, as the Dawgs host defending conference champion Wichita State.
- Southern will head to the Chicagoland area in mid-February for three crucial early season matches in two days. The team begins on Feb. 12 with matches against UIC and Chicago State, followed by a trip to DeKalb to take on Northern Illinois on Feb. 13.