MACOMB, Ill. – The Western Illinois University women's tennis team wraps up their home season against the SEMO Redhawks. This is the third season under coach Luke Ogren. Last year, the Leathernecks went 12-9 overall, and are currently 5-11, 2-1 conference.
WHAT | SEMO
WHEN | 1:00 PM April 3, 2026
WHERE | WIU Tennis Facility, Macomb, Ill.
PREVIOUSLY | Western Illinois is coming off a tough home loss to Lindenwood in conference play, moving to 5-11 overall and 2-1 in OVC action. The Leathernecks opened strong by claiming the doubles point behind wins from Mana Fawcett and Jessica Hess at No. 1 (6-3) and Richardlyne Francois and Denver Johnson at No. 3 (6-2), while at No. 2, Nadezhda Petkova and Nour Gueblaoui held a 4-3 lead before going unfinished. In singles action, WIU fought hard across the lineup but was unable to secure a point, with multiple matches going three sets, including battles from Fawcett at No. 1 and Gueblaoui at No. 3. Jessica Hess also forced a tiebreak at No. 4, highlighting the team's competitiveness despite the final result.
SEMO vs WIU HISTORY | Western Illinois is still searching for its first win against Southeast Missouri State, with the Redhawks holding a 2-0 advantage in the all-time series. The two programs first met on March 12, 2024, where WIU fell 6-1, and met again on March 22, 2025, with SEMO earning a 5-2 victory. Despite the early results, the Leathernecks have shown competitiveness in the matchup, improving their point total in the second meeting and continuing to gain experience against a conference opponent. With both meetings coming within the last two seasons, Western Illinois will look to build on that familiarity and break through in the next matchup.
PLAYERS TO WATCH | Mana Fawcett has made her mark this season by earning Singles Player of the Week twice, and making Doubles Player of the Week with Jessica Hess four times this season.
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