By Emma Hicken, Leatherneck Athletic Communications
MACOMB, Ill. – The Western Illinois University women's tennis team come home to host Southern Indiana for the first conference game this season. This is the third season under coach Luke Ogren. Last year, the Leathernecks went 12-9 overall, and are currently 3-10.
WHAT | Southern Indiana
WHEN | 1:00pm March 14, 2026
WHERE | WIU Tennis Facility, Macomb, IL
PREVIOUSLY | Western Illinois last competed against Northern Iowa, falling in a tightly contested 4–3 match at the Black Hawk Tennis Center in Waterloo, Iowa. The Leathernecks opened the day by sweeping all three doubles matches to secure the doubles point, with Mana Fawcett and Jessica Hess winning at No. 1, Chloe Routier and Nadezhda Petkova earning a victory at No. 2, and Richardlyne Francois and Madeleine Whip dominating at No. 3. In singles play, Routier picked up a three-set win in the top spot while Petkova added another point with a straight-set victory at No. 6, but Northern Iowa claimed four singles matches to secure the narrow win.
OVC PRESEASON | The Ohio Valley Conference released its 2026 women's tennis preseason predicted order of finish in January, with Western Illinois University selected fourth following a vote of the league's head coaches. The Leathernecks return a strong core led by 2025 All-OVC Singles selections Richardlyne Francois and Chloe Routier, while senior Nour Gueblaoui has been named one of the OVC's 2026 Players to Watch. The fourth-place prediction reflects the program's continued rise within the conference, bolstered by experienced returners and a roster poised to make an impact in both singles and doubles play as Western Illinois prepares to compete for a league title at the 2026 conference championships.
PLAYERS TO WATCH | Mana Fawcett has made her mark this season by earning Singles Player of the Week twice, and making Doubles Players of the Week with Jessica Hess four times this season.
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