Racers Set for Final Home Matches of 2021

Dates: April 9^th (11 AM) / April 10^th (12 PM)
Site (Venue): Bennie Purcell Tennis Courts (Murray, Ky.)
Murray State Record (Streak): 7-7, 3-1 OVC (Lost 1)
SIUE Record (Streak): 9-4, 2-1 OVC (Won 2)
Eastern Illinois Record (Streak): 3-10, 0-3 OVC (Won 1)
Racers All-Time vs. Opponents: 16-7 vs. SIUE, 27-4 vs. Eastern Illinois
MSU Next Match: April 16^th at Austin Peay

Murray State women's tennis will play its final two home matches of the 2021 campaign this weekend when they host SIUE and Eastern Illinois at the Bennie Purcell Tennis Courts. The Racers (7-7, 3-1 OVC) will begin with a Friday match at 11:00 a.m. against the Cougars before concluding the homestand with a 12:00 p.m. Saturday contest with the Panthers. Saturday's match will also serve as Senior Day, with recognitions starting at 11:30 a.m.

The Racers are tied with Jacksonville State for second place in the OVC standings with a 3-1 conference record, but own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Gamecocks after defeating them by a score of 5-2 on March 27^th. With three matches remaining, the Racers seek to clinch a spot in this year's OVC Tournament that features a reduced four-team field due to COVID-19. The latest OVC standings can be found HERE.

Series History
Friday will mark the 24^th meeting between Murray State and SIUE, with MSU holding a 16-7 advantage in the all-time series. The Racers have won ten of the last twelve clashes with the Cougars, including the most recent matchup – a 5-2 Murray State victory on the road in Edwardsville in 2019. Murray State is also 11-1 in home matches against SIUE.

As for Eastern Illinois, Saturday's match will be the 32^nd clash in the all-time series with Murray State owning a commanding 27-4 record mark against the Panthers. The Racers have won four of the last five against EIU, including the most recent outing – a 6-1 thrashing in Charleston Illinois.

A Look at the Racers
A 4-3 defeat to Southeast Missouri on Wednesday snapped a five-match winning streak across all competitions for the Racers as they endured their first loss in OVC competition. Before Wednesday's match, the Racers had earned three convincing victories in conference play – defeating Belmont, Jacksonville State, and UT Martin by scores of 5-2, 5-2, and 7-0 respectively.

Gabrielle Geolier is a perfect 4-0 in OVC singles matches as she competes at the No. 6 position for the Racers, while Sara Loncarevic, Sarah Bureau, and Anja Loncarevic all own 3-1 OVC singles marks at the No. 1, No. 3, and No. 5 positions respectively. Sara Loncarevic and Bureau have both won their last three matches.

The Racers have also secured the doubles point in three of four conference outings this year, with the duo of Geolier and Anja Loncarevic leading the way with a perfect 3-0 mark at the No. 3. The team of Marit Kreugel / Stasya Sharapova has also seen success in doubles play as they have posted a 3-1 record at the No. 2 position.

Scouting the Opponents
SIUE enters Friday's match with a 2-1 OVC record as they sit one win behind the Racers in the conference standings. Callaghan Adams and Nicole Gomez are both 3-0 against OVC foes in 2021, while Jordan Schifano is 11-1 across all competitions this season. The Cougars enter Friday's match on a two-match win streak after defeating Eastern Illinois (7-0) and Belmont (4-3) in their last two contests.

Eastern Illinois (3-10, 0-3 OVC) has struggled in 2021, enduring 7-0 defeats to both Jacksonville State and SIUE, and then dropping a 4-1 contest to Belmont in the most recent conference clash. Elizaveta Bukraba-Ulanova has earned the only singles win in OVC play for the Panthers, doing so when she defeated Belmont's Peyton Lee (6-4, 6-2) in straights the last time out.

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Players Mentioned

Sarah Bureau

Gabrielle Geolier

Marit Kreugel

Anja Loncarevic

Sara Loncarevic

Stasya Sharapova

Murray State University Athletics