Southern Illinoise University Athletics
SIU set to face Austin Peay on Friday
02/05/2015 | 12:00:00 | Men's Tennis
By Elizabeth Robinson
SIUSalukis.com
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - After a three-week break from competition, the Saluki men's tennis team (0-3) returns to action on Friday to take on the Austin Peay Governors (2-0) in Clarksville, Tenn.
SIU opened the spring season in January with tough losses against two nationally ranked teams - Tennessee and North Florida - followed by a loss to Mercer. With several weeks to tune up, though, the team is prepared to take on Austin Peay this weekend, according to head coach Dann Nelson.
"We've been working pretty hard on some of the things we need to improve, and all our focus has been on Austin Peay," Nelson said. "We've practiced hard, we've tweaked some things, and we're getting really antsy to play, so hopefully we're ready."
In the last two years, SIU has topped Austin Peay in each meeting, 6-1 in 2014 and 4-3 in 2013. But according to Nelson, this match will come down to whichever team can play better tennis on Friday alone.
"The past success we've had against them doesn't matter at all. Austin Peay is a really good team, and it's a new year," he said. "This is a very important match, so we've been trying to prepare as much as possible."
The Salukis are set to face Austin Peay at 4 p.m. on Friday at the Governor's Tennis Center.
