Southern Illinoise University Athletics
SIU to face tough opponent in Wichita State on Sunday
04/16/2016 | 12:00:00 | Men's Tennis
By Elizabeth Robinson
SIUSalukis.com
WICHITA, Kans. – The Saluki men's tennis will take on its second conference opponent of the season against Wichita State on Sunday. SIU comes into the weekend tied for first in the MVC with a 12-3 overall record and 1-0 in conference. Drake, who SIU will face next week, is also 1-0 in the MVC for a share of first place.
SIU is coming off a close 4-3 victory over Illinois State in the team's MVC opener last weekend. The match came down to the third set of Piotr Baranski's No. 1 singles match, where he won 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 to clinch the SIU victory. The Salukis' sweep in doubles against the Redbirds demonstrated their dominance in doubles this season, earning them the doubles point for the ninth time in SIU's last 10 matches.
"We've done a lot of work with doubles, and hopefully we've done enough to get ready to play a very tough Wichita State," SIU head coach Dann Nelson said. "We've talked a lot about belief, and I think our team believes that they have a chance. A lot of times in tennis, belief is half the battle."
Wichita State is historically a formidable opponent, with SIU's last victory over the Shockers in 2009 when SIU went on to win the MVC Championship title. The Shockers are 13-10 on the season, and have faced seven nationally ranked opponents, picking up one win over No. 51 South Carolina. Most recently, Wichita State opened conference play against No. 46 Drake, falling 4-1.
Perennial powerhouse Tin Ostojic leads the Shockers in his senior season, with a 14-4 record at the No. 1 singles spot for the most wins in dual matches on the team. He also leads in doubles, posting another 14-4 record at the No. 1 spot with partner Jocelyn Devilliers.
"Of course there are a lot of matches to be played in the conference, but everybody is playing for a spot in seedings as well as a conference title, so we have to play our best to have a chance," Nelson said.
The Salukis will take on the Shockers at the Sheldon Coleman Tennis Complex in Wichita, Kans. Match time is set for 10 a.m. on Sunday.
