THIS WEEK IN BILLIKEN TENNIS
Wednesday, March 29 • Women at Missouri State • Noon
Saturday, April 1 • Men vs. Bellarmine (Dwight Davis Tennis Center) • 4 p.m.
Sunday, April 2 • Men at Indiana • 3:30 p.m. (CT)
 
The Saint Louis women's tennis team is on the road for its only match this week, taking on Missouri State in Springfield Wednesday, March 29. The SLU men's squad plays twice over the weekend, hosting Bellarmine Saturday, April 1, at Dwight Davis Tennis Center before traveling to Indiana the following day.
 
Live results for all three matches are available on www.SLUBillikens.com. The Indiana match will be video streamed.
 
Women's Preview
The Billikens bring a 12-5 record into Wednesday's match. SLU needs just one more victory to equal last year's total.
 
Mya Spencer (12-2) and Elizabeth Mintusova (11-2) are atop the Saint Louis chart in dual-meet singles wins. Both players own 10 straight-sets dual victories. Spencer's 12 dual triumphs are a career high.
 
Sandra Gines (9-3) and Fiorella Duran (8-7) are approaching double figures in singles wins.
 
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 carry a 10-4 mark at No. 1.
 
Missouri State, a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, is 5-11 after losing four consecutive matches. The Bears and Billikens have played three common opponents – Oral Roberts, Eastern Illinois and Missouri Western. SLU defeated all three, while Missouri State was 2-1 with a loss to Oral Roberts.
 
"We did not have out best showing last weekend against a good Butler team," head coach Justin Stuckey said. "We had a long talk afterwards about taking advantage of opportunities in doubles and singles when we are presented with them. I look forward to seeing how this translates for us Wednesday against a competitive Missouri State team."
 
Men's Preview
Last week's victory over Baker pushed Saint Louis' winning streak to five and improved the Billikens' record to 14-2. The 14 wins tie the 2009 and 1997 Bills for the fourth-highest total in program history.
 
Ryota Fukushima has a team-high 13 dual-meet singles wins (13-2), his career best. Fukushima is riding a five-match winning streak. Adam Behun (9-3) also has achieved a career high in dual victories.
 
At 11-1, Sansh Kumar has the most dual-meet singles wins by a Saint Louis freshman since Ikaika Jobe captured 17 victories in the 2001-02 season. Luca Lo Nardo (10-2) has joined Fukushima and Kumar as Billikens with a double-digit win total in dual competition. Lo Nardo has won four straight.
 
ASUN Conference member Bellarmine has won its last three contests to improve to 12-7, a significant improvement over last year's 5-15 record. The Billikens and Knights have faced three common opponents this season, both beating Southern Indiana and Eastern Illinois and both falling to Butler.
 
Indiana of the Big Ten Conference is 11-6 on the season, including 10-1 at home. One of the Hoosiers' wins was a 4-1 decision over Atlantic 10 Conference member Dayton. Common opponents with SLU are Butler (win) and Southern Indiana (two wins).
 
"Bellarmine is a team we have seen a few times in recent years," Stuckey said. "They are a strong team and are having a good season. Our key in this match, as it has been every match, is making the right decisions in the right moments for tactics in singles play.
 
"Indiana is another good team enjoying a good year," Stuckey said. "We'll need to be ready from the first points with our energy, especially in singles."