With the weather in St. Louis sunny one day and snowy the next, there is no telling whether the Billiken tennis games at home will be on this weekend.
Both the men’s and women’s teams are slated for home games against Western Illinois on Friday, March 7. The men will then face University of Missouri-Kansas City on Saturday, March 8, while the women take on Southeast Missouri State on Sunday, March 9.
“They are both really dead-even matches,” said Jonathan Zych, men’s and women’s tennis coach. “Doubles matches and our conditioning will be key in the matches this weekend.”
Senior Paul Feder said conditioning was one of the main issues that the team addressed from last weekend. Feder agreed with Zych that matches will be won or lost depeding greatly upon the doubles teams.
“I think the doubles points are huge because that is what starts out our matches,” Feder said. “It is important to score those first points. Tennis is a game of momentum, and if we can get that momentum going, it’s a lot easier to win.”
The men’s team lost two matches last weekend against Atlantic 10 rivals Dayton and Xavier, but responded with a win against Wright State on Sunday, March 2. Zych said the challenging weekend will help the Bills in the long run.
“We faced adversity the entire weekend, so to persevere and end the trip with a win is a good feeling,” Zych said. “It was a good team win that showed our depth.”
Zych said he expects Western Illinois to be a tough match for both the men’s and women’s teams. In order to be successful, both teams will need to work together and keep a good attitude, Zych said.
“My expectations are that we play with a lot of energy, with a lot of heart, and that we keep our composure,” Zych said. “I think if we do those things, the wins will take care of themselves.”
Last year, the Billikens lost to both Western Illinois and UMKC.
“This year, our team is stronger, but both matches should be close,” Feder said.
Since posting its first win on Feb. 16, at Creighton, the women’s team has only lost once in the last five consecutive matches.
The face that the Bills have eight solid players will help the team perform well in the upcoming matches this weekend, Zych said.
“Our strength is our depth,” Zych said. “We have eight guys who can play in the top six, so I feel really good about where we are at. But we need to continue playing strong in tough matches like the ones we’ll face this weekend; that’s what will help us improve.”
