McLean County Times

Illinois State University's men's tennis team is preparing for a challenging weekend as they head to Omaha for a doubleheader against Creighton and Omaha. The Redbirds, currently holding a 4-12 record, will face the Creighton Blue Jays on Saturday, followed by their Summit League opener against the Omaha Mavericks on Sunday.

Head coach Mark Klysner expressed his anticipation for the upcoming matches, particularly the start of the conference schedule. "I am looking forward to getting the conference schedule going. It's what we train for and prepare for and this first one against Omaha should be a good one," said Klysner.

In their last outing on March 8, Illinois State fell to Lipscomb University with a score of 5-2. Despite the loss, Adrian Dibildox secured a three-set victory at No. 1 singles, while Christian Capacci triumphed in a three-set tiebreaker at No. 3 singles.

Creighton comes into Saturday's match after a defeat by Cal Poly on March 11. The Blue Jays managed to win at No. 1 doubles with Ethan Neil and Rocky McKenzie overcoming their opponents from Cal Poly.

The Omaha Mavericks are entering Sunday's game with some momentum following their victory over Oral Roberts in conference play before falling to Queens in Charlotte on March 17.

Looking ahead, Illinois State will quickly return to action on March 26 against Drake in Des Moines before hosting Denver Pioneers on March 28 at Evergreen Racquet Club in Bloomington.

For updates on Illinois State men's tennis, fans can visit GoRedbirds.com or follow them on social media platforms such as "X" (RedbirdMTEN) and Instagram (redbirdmtennis).