Dual Match With Eastern Illinois Moved To Sunday

Jan. 31, 2008

Milwaukee - The Marquette University men's tennis team's non-conference dual match against Eastern Illinois, originally scheduled for Friday afternoon, has been moved to Sunday, Feb. 3 at Noon.

The winter storm that hit the region Thursday night kept EIU from getting to campus Friday afternoon for the 4 p.m. match at the Helfaer Tennis & Recreation Center.

The Golden Eagles will still face Southern Illinois Saturday, Feb. 2 at 1 p.m.

In the 2005-06 campaign, the Golden Eagles swept the EIU Panthers 7-0 in Milwaukee. The squad also rallied to beat Southern Illinois with a 5-2 home win last season.

"We are facing two very talented teams and we will have to be ready to play," head coach Steve Rodecap said. "Being on our home courts will hopefully help get our energy level where it needs to be."

The Ohio Valley Conference's Panthers opened their season with a 7-0 victory over IPFW last weekend. EIU is lead by sophomore Jeff Rutherford in the No. 1 singles spot and freshman Robert Stedman in the No. 2 singles position. Rutherford and Stedman each won their matches last weekend. On the doubles side, the No. 1 pair of Chris Thomas and Sean Bush combine with No. 2 partners Rutherford and Stedman.

The MU-SIU match will mark Southern Illinois' season opener. With a team that returns three lineup regulars from last season, the Salukis recently added four foreign players to the roster who are available immediately, including Columbian native Mariano Restrepo, who is currently ranked No. 1 in the B18's national singles ranking.

The Golden Eagles return to action after being swept on the road last weekend against Purdue University and No. 58 University of Louisville. The team fell just short at Purdue, losing 4-3, and dropped a 6-1 decision to Louisville. Sophomore Mark Rutherford emerged with the lone singles victory posting a 6-4, 7-6 decision in Kentucky. In West Lafayette, MU rallied to win three singles matches with victories by Niko Boulieris, Mark Rutherford, and Brett Binkley.

The squad is 2-0 at home this season, with an overall singles record of 86-61 and a doubles record of 43-22.