ANOTHER SATURDAY DOUBLEHEADER
Although the team will need to move back indoors as the unseasonable warm temperatures have steadily dropped this week, Bradley will host another weekend doubleheader when the Braves return to action Saturday by hosting Wright State (9 a.m.) and Butler (1 p.m.) at the Clubs at River City ... Wright State, which has won two of the three all-time meetings against the Braves, will make its first-ever trip to Peoria for Saturday's opening dual ... The Braves earned their first dual match win against Butler in four tries last season, by cruising to a 6-1 win in Indianapolis.
MVC ATHLETE-OF-THE-WEEK NOMINEE
Aimee Manfredo, Bradley, Jr., Shoreham, NY (Shoreham-Wading River H.S.)
Manfredo enjoyed the unseasonably warm weather Saturday by scorching the opposition for an overall 4-0 individual record, helping the Braves to dual match wins against Western Illinois (6-1) and Chicago State (5-2) on the outdoor courts at the David Markin Tennis Courts ... The Ari Dechter/Manfredo pairing rolled to a 6-2 win versus Western Illinois and a 6-1 triumph against Chicago State in the No. 2 doubles position, helping the Braves clinch the doubles point in both duals ... Manfredo added a 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 5 singles against Western Illinois, then finished the day by breezing to a 6-2, 6-1 against Chicago State ... Manfredo climbed four spots on Bradley's all-time combined singles and doubles wins list Saturday and the junior now ranks 11th in program history with 81 career singles (49) and doubles (32) victories.
FIVE IN THE TOP 25
By splitting her two singles matches Saturday, sophomore
Malini Wijesinghe picked up her 33rd career singles victory, moving her into a 3-way tie for 25th on Bradley's all-time singles wins list ... Five current Bradley players now ranks among the program's top 25 singles players: senior
Ariel Dechter (1st, 76 wins); senior
Ashley Thai (3rd, 58); junior
Aimee Manfredo (T7th, 49); junior
Alexa Brandt (T18th, 36); and Wijesinghe.
WIJESINGHE ACTIVE LEADER BY PERCENTAGE
Sophomore
Malini Wijesinghe (Apple Valley, MN/Apple Valley H.S.) played her 50th and 51st career singles matches Saturday and, as a result, she now qualifies for the program's career list for singles winning percentage ... Boasting a 33-18 career singles record, Wijesinghe leads Bradley's current players and ranks sixth all-time in program history with a .647 career singles winning percentage.
