COMING UP IN BILLIKEN TENNIS
Saturday, March 25 • Men vs. Baker (St. Clair Tennis Club) • 5 p.m.
Sunday, March 26 • Women vs. Butler (St. Clair Tennis Club) • 9 a.m.
 
Both Saint Louis tennis teams play just one match this week as they prepare for the stretch run of the regular season. The men's team has six matches remaining, while eight matches are left on the women's schedule.
 
Men's Preview
Saint Louis has captured four consecutive victories to improve to 13-2. The 13 wins are the fifth-highest total in program history and the most since the 2009 Billikens won 14 matches.
 
Ryota Fukushima leads SLU with 12 dual-meet wins (12-2). Fukushima is 7-0 at No. 1. Sansh Kumar owns a 10-1 dual record and has at least one victory at Nos. 4, 5 and 6. Six of his wins have come at No. 6 (6-1).
 
Luca Lo Nardo has been solid in the middle of the lineup, going 6-2 at No. 3 and 3-0 at No. 4 for a 9-2 total. Adam Behun has been the Bills' most versatile singles player, seeing time at Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 5. Behun carries a 9-3 dual mark.
 
Baker, a member of the NAIA Heart of America Athletic Conference, plays at Lindenwood and Webster before taking on the Billikens.
 
"It will be great to have a match at home again after being on the road the past four matches," head coach Justin Stuckey said. "We plan to get back to work and focus on things we really need to improve on from last week's matches against a Baker team that will bring the energy against us on Saturday."
 
Women's Preview
The Billikens are 12-4 after winning two straight and five of their last six matches. SLU needs just one more victory to equal last year's total.
 
Mya Spencer (12-1) and Elizabeth Mintusova (11-1) are battling for the team lead in dual-meet singles wins. All but one of Mintusova's victories have come at No. 1, while Spencer has played at least one match – and owns at least one win – at every spot except No. 1. She is riding a 10-match winning streak.
 
Sandra Gines (9-2) has won four straight contests and is approaching double figures in wins, as is Fiorella Duran (8-6).
 
Mintusova is 14-0 in dual-meet doubles, going 9-0 with Ksenia Aleshina at No. 2, 4-0 with Gines at No. 2 and 1-0 with Gines at No. 1. Spencer and Norhan Hesham are 10-3 at No. 1.
 
Butler, a member of the Big East Conference, began the week with a 6-10 record. The Bulldogs lost their most recent match but had claimed four straight wins before that, including a 6-1 victory over Atlantic 10 Conference member Dayton. Butler hosts IUPUI and Bellarmine Friday before taking on the Billikens.
 
"We're at a point in the season where we really need our play in the important points to improve to help us have better success," Stuckey said. "We've had several close matches this season come down to one court. We have a full week of practice to get ready for a good test on Sunday."