Bradley University Athletics

Bradley Announces 2021 Tennis Schedule

In search of a third consecutive winning season, the Braves will open with the longest home stand in program history

2021 Tennis Schedule

Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications Women's Tennis 1/15/2021 1:29:00 PM

PEORIA, IL – For the first time in the program's 44 year history, the Bradley University Women's Tennis team will play 10 consecutive home dual matches, according to the release of the team's spring schedule Friday.

The Braves will play all 10 of their non-conference dual matches at home, either indoors at the Clubs at River City or outdoors on campus at the David Markin Tennis Courts, beginning with the season-opener Jan. 31 against Big East Conference member DePaul.

The season-opening home stand is slated to conclude March 27 when the Braves welcome Interstate 74 rival Illinois State in the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both teams. Bradley will play its final four Valley matches on the road in a stretch that will be interrupted April 17 for the home finale against Saint Louis.

The Missouri Valley Conference Women's Tennis Team Championship will be hosted by Missouri State April 23-25.

Attendance policies for Bradley's home matches will be determined by institutional, local, state and national COVID-19 mitigation protocols in place at the date of the matches. The indoors or outdoors status of the matches will be determined by event-day weather conditions.

As the Braves prepare to play their first 10 matches of the 2021 dual season at home, Bradley's longest home stand was eight consecutive matches Feb. 20-March 7, 2010 (3-5) and Oct. 18, 2002 and Feb. 1-March 8, 2003 (2-6).

Bradley's 2020 dual match season was halted by the COVID-19 global pandemic after the Braves had built a 7-5 record. Bradley Tennis has combined for a 23-13 (.639) record in the last two seasons and the Braves will be attempting to post a third consecutive winning season for the just third time in program history, most-recently in three straight seasons from 1990-93, with a lineup that returns all seven student-athletes from its 2019-20 squad.

Bradley's returning lineup includes three individuals who earned All-Missouri Valley Conference honors during the 2019 season, as well as the 2019 All-MVC No. 1 Doubles pairing. Junior Sandra Maletin, a two-time MVC All-Select honoree as Bradley's No. 1 singles player, had posted a 17-2 singles record before the 2019-20 season was halted. Senior Natalia Barbery was the All-MVC selection at No. 4 singles in 2019, while teaming with Maletin as the All-MVC No. 1 doubles team. Sophomore Bozana Lojpur earned the All-MVC nod at No. 2 singles as a freshman in 2019 and went on to win the No. 2 Singles flight at the 2019 MVC Women's Tennis Individual Championships, while fellow sophomore Nikki Perlwitz also claimed the 2019 No. 5 Singles flight title.

In addition to the returning experience, Bradley welcomes a pair of freshmen to the 2021 lineup, Maria Bezmenova and Juliana Martinez.

Print Friendly Version