Bradley University Athletics

Tennis Hits the Road for First Time in 2019

Bradley Tennis will travel to Rockford for dual matches Friday at Northern Illinois and Saturday against North Dakota

Malini Wijesinghe owns a 4-0 record at No. 3 Singles this spring

Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications Women's Tennis 2/7/2019 3:14:00 PM

ROCKFORD, IL – After winning 3-of-4 home dual matches to start the 2019 season, Bradley Tennis will hit the road for the first time this year when they visit Northern Illinois Friday before taking on North Dakota Saturday. Both dual matches will be played at the Boylan Tennis Center in Rockford.

The Braves (3-1) are coming off a doubleheader sweep this past Saturday against Omaha and Eastern Illinois at the Clubs at River City. The 5-2 win against Eastern Illinois snapped a 10-match losing streak to the Panthers, dating back to the 2000 season. The 3-1 record represents Bradley's best 4-game start to a season since 2008-09, when the Braves won six of their first seven dual matches.

Although Bradley has won two of the last three meetings against Northern Illinois, the Braves have never won a road dual against the Huskies (0-9). Saturday's dual against North Dakota will be the first-ever women's tennis meeting between the two schools.

Senior Malini Wijesinghe, who teamed with freshman Bozana Lojpur to earn the most-recent Missouri Valley Conference Doubles Team-of-the-Week honor, enters the weekend fifth on Bradley's all-time list with 114 career combined singles (65) and doubles (49) victories. With two wins in her four scheduled matches this weekend, Wijesinghe would move into fifth place, eclipsing Teri Chan, who held the program record for combined wins at 115 from 2007 to 2013. With a sweep of all four matches, Wijesinghe would tie former teammate Alexa Brandt for third place with 118 combined wins.

Following this weekend's action, Bradley will return home for another 4-match home stand, beginning Feb. 15 (5 p.m.) against UIC at the Clubs at River City.

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