Salukis are No. 2 seed at MVC Championship this weekend

The Southern Illinois men's tennis team hopes to continue its successful season this weekend at the Missouri Valley Conference Championship in Bloomington, Illinois.

The Salukis are the No. 2 seed in the tournament with an overall record of 16-3 and a 2-1 mark in the MVC with big wins against Wichita State and Illinois State. They will play No. 3 seed Wichita State on Saturday. SIU and WSU shared the MVC regular-season title last year.

"We know that Saturday is going to be a huge battle against Wichita," SIU coach Jonny Rigby said. "We have played our best tennis in tough matchups and I expect the guys to come out with a lot of fire."

Southern defeated Wichita, 4-1, on April 1 in a high-intensity match. Michal Kianicka clinched the win during No. 3 singles after defeating Jocelyn Devilliers in the third set, 6-4. It was the first time the Salukis defeated the Shockers in almost a decade.

The winner of the match between SIU and WSU will play the winner of the match between No. 1 Drake and the winner of the match between No. 4 Stony Brook and No. 5 Illinois State. The winner of the Championship receives and automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

"I think every player can be proud of what they have achieved individually and as a team this year." Rigby said. "I am extremely proud of the year that we have had and I know the guys are going to give everything they have this weekend. We are just hoping that we can top off what has been an incredible season."

First serve against Wichita is set for 8 a.m. at the Bloomington Tennis Center.

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Players Mentioned

Michal Kianicka

Jonny Rigby

Scoreboard

Upcoming Events