McLean County Times

The Illinois State men's tennis team achieved a decisive 7-0 victory over the Saint Louis Billikens on Saturday, March 29, at the Evergreen Racquet Club in Bloomington, Illinois. This win improved the Redbirds' record to 6-15 for the season, with a conference record of 1-2 in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Head Coach Mark Klysner expressed his satisfaction with the team's performance. "It's always nice to get wins this late in the spring and it was much needed. We played some solid doubles and singles was pretty disciplined. I think it was a nice win leading into next weekend when we have a huge match at North Dakota," Klysner said.

In doubles competition, Illinois State secured the doubles point by winning all three matches. Tomas Valencia and Adrian Dibildox earned a 6-2 victory against the Billikens' Andres Castellanos and Valentin Vasquez. The second doubles match saw Tin Ostro and Caden Scarlett defeat Luca Lo Nardo and Kumar with a score of 6-0. The sweep was completed by Manuel Pavia and Christian Capacci, who won 6-2 against R.K. Koshimzu and Max Chen.

The Redbirds continued their dominance in the singles matches, capturing victories in all six. Tomas Valencia triumphed over Andres Castellanos with a score of 6-2, 6-2, while Adrian Dibildox secured a 6-3, 6-3 win over Lo Nardo. Tin Ostro won a close match against Koshimzu, 6-3, 6-4. Christian Capacci edged out Vasquez, 7-6 (3), 7-5. Jett Leong replicated Ostro's effort by defeating Max Chen 6-3, 6-4, and Caden Scarlett won a three-set encounter against Sebastian Munoz, finishing 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.

Looking ahead, the Redbirds are set to face the North Dakota Fighting Hawks on April 5 in Grand Forks. The match will commence at 12:30 p.m. at the Choice Health and Fitness Facility.

The Illinois State men's tennis team encourages fans to stay updated through their official website, GoRedbirds.com, and social media platforms.