April 23, 2008

By Beth Miller
www.SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. - The men's and women's tennis teams head to Omaha, Neb. this week to compete in the Missouri Valley Conference Men's and Women's Tennis Championship.

Two conference wins over the weekend earned the men's team a fourth seed, the Salukis' best conference finish since the 1999 season. The men finished the season 10-12 overall, 3-3 in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Salukis will take on the fifth-seeded Redbirds of Illinois State in the opening round, Friday at 10 a.m. Southern Illinois defeated Illinois State in their last regular season match, 5-2, to secure the No. 4 seed.

The women finished the regular season 11-11 overall, 4-4 in Valley play. The Southern Illinois women were seeded fifth, their highest since 2005. The Salukis will play Northern Iowa in the first round, Friday at 10 a.m. The two teams last met in April, where the Salukis fell to the Panthers, 5-2. Sabine Tsala Mvilongo and Martina Vianna Ce both grabbed wins against Northern Iowa at No. 1 and No. 2 singles.

Winners of the opening round will continue play Saturday. The Championship match will be held Sunday at noon.