Issue date: 2/20/09 Section: Sports

Sophomore Vance Davis returns a serve during practice on Thursday afternoon in the Lantz Fieldhouse. The men's and women's teams will be traveling to compete in a total of five matches, with the Panther men facing three and the women two. (Erin Matheny/The Daily Eastern News)

The Eastern tennis teams remain focused and confident heading into this weekend's matches in DeKalb, Ill., Milwaukee, Wis. and Cedar Falls, Iowa.

The Eastern women's squad will travel to Cedar Falls, Iowa this weekend to take on South Dakota State and Northern Iowa University.

The men's squad will play Northern Illinois at 5:30 p.m. Friday in DeKalb. They will make the trek up to Milwaukee to take on South Dakota State at 3 p.m Saturday, and Marquette University at 10 a.m. Sunday.

The women's team travels to Iowa Saturday to take on South Dakota State at 11 a.m. On Saturday the Panthers will play Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls at 10 a.m.

"I expect to win every match I play in this weekend," freshman Shannon Brooks said. "Northern Iowa will probably be the toughest opponent for us."

Brooks, a native of West Aurora, has helped the Panthers to a 2-4 record this season.

Head coach John Blackburn wants the squads to show more consistency on the tennis courts.

The men's team currently has a 4-2 record heading into this week's matches.

They carry a three-match winning streak into this weekend while the women are looking to start a run of their own before they take on Illinois State on February 27th in Normal.

The matches against Northern Illinois will be held in The Clock Tower racquet club in Rockford, Ill.

"We expect to definitely perform the best we can," Brooks said. "Both the men's and women's teams have huge weekends ahead of us."


Wally Swenson can be reached at 581-7944 or at wfswenson@eiu.edu.

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