PEORIA, Ill. – Bradley Tennis gets the 2026 dual season underway this weekend, hosting Butler in Pekin, Ill., before traveling to Chicago to face Chicago State.
MATCH INFORMATION – HOME VS. BUTLER
Where: Parkside Fitness - Pekin, Ill.
When: Saturday, January 24 - 3:00 p.m.
MATCH INFORMATION – AWAY AT CHICAGO STATE
*SCHEDULE UPDATE*
The match at Chicago State has been cancelled due to anticipated inclement weather.
PREVIEWING THE BULLDOGS
Butler is 1-1 on the 2026 season, beginning the season with a 7-0 loss at Purdue on Jan. 17. The Bulldogs' first win of the season came the next day, earning a 6-1 victory at home against Marian, which currently ranks #12 among NAIA programs. Today marks the start of a stretch where Butler has three matches in three days, beginning today with a match against Indiana in Bloomington.
This meeting will be the sixth between the Braves and Bulldogs, with Butler leading the all-time series 3-2. Bradley has won the last two meetings, with the most recent victory coming on Feb. 25, 2017, when the Braves won 5-2 at The Clubs at River City. The two programs have played in Peoria twice, with each side taking one game apiece.
Entering the dual season, Butler has been led by freshmen Kate Fortney and Sophie Parr, who each finished the fall with six singles wins. In doubles, Parr and senior Chase Metcalf finished the fall with five wins as a pair.
PREVIEWING THE COUGARS
Chicago State is 0-3 on the 2026 season, falling to Western Michigan in Kalamazoo and Missouri and Northern Illinois in DeKalb. The Cougars have a road match today at Cincinnati before they return home to face Bradley on Sunday.
This match marks the 23rd all-time meeting between the Braves and the Cougars. Bradley holds a 17-5 advantage in the series and is 6-4 on the road against the Cougars. Chicago State took the most recent meeting, earning a 6-1 victory on Feb. 3, 2024, in Chicago – a victory that snapped a streak of eight Bradley wins over Chicago State dating to 2015.
THE SEASON SO FAR
The Braves had a successful individual season, where Bradley players finished with a combined 31-26 record. Sophomore
Ruby Tseng and senior
Mariia Pukhina lead the team in combined wins with nine, while Tseng leads the team with five singles wins, and Pukhina and fellow senior
Anna Belogliadova lead the team in doubles wins with five apiece. As a pair, Belogliadova and Pukhina lead the team with five wins.
The Braves welcomed a seventh student-athlete to the roster during the winter break, as
Amber Sharp, a freshman from Australia, joined the team in advance of the dual season. Sharp represented Victoria in the Australian 18U Pizzey Cup Championships in 2024 and captained the team to a second-place finish in 2025.
Entering the dual season, seniors Belogliadova and Pukhina lead all active players in wins. Belogliadova ranks 24th all-time in Bradley history with 74 combined victories, while Pukhina is tied for 24th with 70 combined wins.
COMING UP...
Bradley travels to Springfield, Mo., next weekend for an away match against Missouri State on Jan. 30 and a neutral site match against South Dakota on Jan. 31.
