Who | Western Illinois vs. Saint Francis (1-4) and at Youngstown State (4-6)
When | Saturday, Feb. 27 at 9 a.m. and Noon
Where | Youngstown, Ohio
Social Media | Twitter + Facebook #TRADITIONofTOUGH

First Serve | The Western Illinois women's tennis team travels out of state for the first time this season with a Saturday (Feb. 27) doubleheader against Saint Francis (10 a.m.) and Youngstown State (1 p.m.)

Last Time Out | Saturday's matchup is a quick turnaround after the Leathernecks battled in-state rival Illinois State on Wednesday (Feb. 24). In singles play, Lorena Castellanos and Agatha Carbonell played hard but couldn't get the advantage over their opponents as the two freshmen fell 6-2, 6-3 at No. 1 and No. 4, respectively. Lucky Kancherla (No. 3), Aina Cortina-Pou (No. 2), Maria Rybka (No. 5), and Mara Vidal (No. 6) were all edged out in straight sets giving the Redbirds the 6-0 singles sweep. 

Plenty of Firsts | The Leathernecks 7-0 victory over St. Francis (Ill.) on Valentine's Day marked the first win of the season for Western and marked firsts for a few members of the team. The match was the first win for head coach Shawn Hyden at WIU, and it featured the first career wins for Lorena Castellanos, Aina Cortina-Pou, Agatha Carbonell, and Maria Rybka.

Scouting the Red Flash | The Red Flash women picked up their first win of the season against Thomas More, winning by a 6-1 margin, before dropping contests against Northern Kentucky and Dayton.

Scouting the Penguins | The Penguins head into Saturday's contest on a two-game losing streak, having dropped both matches of a Saturday (Feb. 20) doubleheader against Ball State 4-1, 4-0. The Penguins host St. Bonaventure Friday (Feb. 26) afternoon. 

Up Next | Western Illinois resumes in-state competition on Tuesday (March 9th) to battle with the Bradley Braves.