GALESBURG, Ill. - The Western Illinois men's tennis team returned to the courts Saturday (March 7) afternoon, taking on Oral Roberts in Summit League action. Playing their second Summit League match of the season, the Leathernecks were unable to secure victory, falling 7-0 to the Golden Eagles. Western Illinois falls to 0-9 (0-2 Summit League) while the Golden Eagles improve to 5-7 (1-1 Summit League) with the victory.

"It was very good to be back in competition on our home courts and we faced a competitive team today in Oral Roberts," said head coach Mashiska Washington. " Most of our players had the opportunity to play in both singles & doubles.  As we continue to move forward with our spring schedule, we are looking forward to our next dual match."

Oral Roberts opened the match by sweeping the doubles point. Surya Sawhney and Nikola Pavlovic dropped an 8-1 decision at the top spot, while Jacob Sanders and Anthony Timberlake also fell by an 8-1 margin at the No. 3 spot. At No. 2 doubles, the duo of Chris Bunch and Ross Smith fell by a score of 8-2.

Once singles play started up, Oral Roberts was able to claim all six matches en route to the 7-0 decision. Bunch competed at the No. 1 spot, falling 6-1, 6-0. In the match at No. 2 position, Pavlovic fought in the first set, before eventually dropping a straight-sets match, 6-3, 6-1. Sawhney (No. 3) and Timberlake (No. 6) each fell by 6-1, 6-0 margins. The final two matches included Sanders playing at the No. 4 spot and Smith in the No. 5 position. Both were unable to get momentum in their favor, as they each lost by a 6-0, 6-0 score.

The Purple and Gold have a quick turnaround, as the team travels to Evanston, Illinois, for a Sunday meeting with Northwestern. The Wildcats, ranked 21st in the country according to the ITA, features two players ranked in the top-125 of the ITA singles rankings. First serve is set for 6:30 p.m.