Men's Tennis | 2/10/2024 12:40:00 AM
Emporia State Hornet Women (0-0, 0-0 MIAA)
vs. Maryville Saints (1-0, 0-0 GLVC)
Saturday, February 10 • 3:00 p.m. • Cooper Tennis Complex • Springfield, Mo.
at Drury Panthers (0-0, 0-0 GLVC)
Sunday, February 11 • 11:00 a.m. • Cooper Tennis Complex • Springfield, Mo.
Emporia State Hornet Men (0-0, 0-0 MIAA)
vs. Maryville Saints (0-1, 0-0 GLVC)
Saturday, February 10 • 12:45 p.m. • Cooper Tennis Complex • Springfield, Mo.
at Drury Panthers (0-0, 0-0 GLVC)
Sunday, February 11 • 11:00 a.m. • Cooper Tennis Complex • Springfield, Mo.
LET'S GET IT STARTED
Emporia State will open the spring dual match regular season with a trip to Springfield, Mo. to take on Maryville and Drury.
THE COACHES
John Blackburn is in his first season as the Director of Tennis and head men's coach at Emporia State. He spent the past eight seasons as the head coach at NCAA Division III Methodist University in Fayetteville, N.C. He went 117-58 overall with a 54-4 record in conference play, winning three regular season conference championships, two conference tournament championships and made two NCAA Tournament appearances under his leadership. He was also a head coach at Eastern Illinois, Coker College and Palm Beach Atlantic.
Former Hornet CeCe Peyroche is in her first full season as the permanent coach of the Emporia State women's program. She took over as the interim coach for both teams in December of 2022. She went-9 with the men's team and 5-13 in women's action. Peyroche was 23-15 in singles play during her three years as a Hornet before moving into the graduate assistant position last year. Â
A LOOK AT THE HORNETS
The Emporia State women's tennis team opened the spring season with a 6-1 exhibition win over Barton Community College at the Kossover Family Tennis Center.Â
The Hornets swept through the doubles as Lili Bizourerne andÂ
Paige Stranghoner started things with a 6-0 win at #2 doubles. Emporia State finished the doubles sweep with a 6-2 win byÂ
Perla Conde andÂ
Sheriden Wichman at #3 and a 6-4 win at #1 byÂ
Giovanna Ferreira andÂ
Anastasia Pesic.
In singles play Emporia State got straight set wins by Bizouerne at #3, Ferreira at #4, Pesic at #5 and Stranghoner at #6 to secure the dual win. Â
Angelina Gnezdilova fell in a third set tiebreaker 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-6) at #1 before Conde finished off the dual with a 6-1, 5-7, 1-0 (11-9) win at the #2 position.
The Emporia State men  picked up an exhibition win against Pratt CC at the Kossover Family Tennis Center to begin spring dual play.
 The Hornets swept the doubles competition withÂ
Sergio Vera Martin andÂ
Mostafa Elbasnaly winning 6-3 at #1 andÂ
Anton Sarunic teaming withÂ
Diego Calvo at #2 for a 6-3 win to clinch the point. Â
Harrison Brown andÂ
Harris Kossover finished the sweep with a 7-5 win at #3.
Emporia State won four of the six singles matches to pick up the exhibition win. Sarunic won 7-6, 6-2 at the #1 spot, Elbasnaly won 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 at the #3 position, Brown picked up a 6-4, 6-3 win at #5 andÂ
Lleyton Fosha rounded it out with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 win at #6 singles.
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KNOW THE FOE
The Maryville women are 1-0 following a 5-2 victory at William Jewell on February 4. The Saints went 6-7 last season. The Hornets have split their previous two duals with Maryville with the last meeting taking place on March 15, 2019.
The Drury women will be making their regular season debut this weekend. The Panthers were 17-6 last season, including a 7-0 win over the Hornets in their only previous meeting.
The Maryville men are 0-1 this year after falling 4-1 at William Jewell on February 4. They were 5-11 last season. The Saints won the only previous meeting with the Hornets 4-3 on March 15, 2019.
The Drury men are making their season debut this weekend. They went 10-7 last year including a 6-1 win in the only meeting with Emporia State.
UP NEXT
Both the Hornet men and women will travel to North Kansas City, Mo. on Saturday, February 17 to take on Rockhurst at the Northland Racquet Club. Both duals are scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.
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