PEORIA, Ill. – Bradley Tennis (9-11, 4-2) will host its regular season finale against the Illinois State Redbirds for Senior Day on Sunday, April 21, at the Markin Tennis Courts.
MATCH INFORMATION – HOME vs ILLINOIS STATE (15-6, 4-2)
Where: Markin Tennis Courts - Peoria, Ill.
When: Sunday, April 19 - 12:00 p.m.
Bradley's three seniors –
Anna Belogliadova,
Valeriia Ivanovskaia and
Mariia Pukhina – will be honored before the first serve at noon. The ceremony will start around 11:50 a.m.
PREVIEWING THE REDBIRDS
The Illinois State Redbirds enter Sunday's match with a 15-6 record in 2026, including a 4-2 record in MVC matches. Illinois State is coming off a weekend split in Iowa, falling to Drake, 4-3, on April 10 before sweeping Northern Iowa, 7-0, on April 11. Illinois State's 4-2 record includes a 5-2 victory over Murray State in Bloomington on April 4, snapping Murray State's 21-match MVC win streak. Overall, Illinois State has an 8-5 record in road matches.
Sunday's matchup will mark the 55th all-time meeting between Bradley and Illinois State. Historically, the Braves have faced no other program more times than Illinois State. Illinois State has taken the last three matchups at the Markin Courts, dating to 2017. This includes last season's edition of the I-74 Rivalry, as the Redbirds claimed a 5-2 victory on March 22, 2025.
The Redbirds are led by senior Nuria Sanz, who has won 25 of her 29 singles matches during the 2025-26 season. Sanz is also 19-1 in singles in her last 20 matches. Nicole Iosio (19 wins) and Silvia Pomarolli (18 wins) are also among the top match winners on the team. In doubles Sanz and Iosio have combined for 13 doubles wins, while Vittoria Benedetti and Emma Lindh have 12 wins together as a pair.
LAST TIME OUT
Most recently, the Braves fell to the nationally-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini, 4-0, on Tuesday, April 14. Prior to Tuesday's match, Bradley had a four-match win streak featuring victories over Belmont (5-2, April 4), Lindenwood (4-3, April 8), Drake (4-3, April 11) and Northern Iowa (7-0, April 12).
TEAM NEWS & NOTES
- Bradley has faced off against Illinois State the most out of all opponents since the program's inception in 1977 (55 times). The second- and third-most frequent opponents for the Braves are Western Illinois (49 times) and Northern Iowa (46 times).
- Bradley's 7-0 win over Northern Iowa secured its fourth conference win of the season. This ties the program record for the most conference wins in a single season.
- It is the first time the Braves have won four conference matches since 2018-19 and the third time overall (1991-92 in the Gateway Conference).
- Bradley's nine dual wins are the most since 2021-22.
- Bradley has won three straight conference matches for the first time since 2021.
- Ruby Tseng (34) and Mariia Pukhina (31) each have over 30 combined wins this season, while three other Braves have over 20 combined wins this season.
- Entering this weekend, the six teams that will be competing in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament are already confirmed, and Bradley is one of those teams. This is Bradley's first MVC Tournament appearance since 2023, when it was the #6 seed.
- Entering Saturday, UIC remains the only team undefeated in MVC play at 5-0. Murray State finished up its conference season 5-2 after a 7-0 sweep of Belmont, while Illinois State and Bradley enter Sunday's match tied at 4-2. Drake enters the weekend in fifth at 3-2, while Belmont is locked into the six-seed at 2-5. Valparaiso and Northern Iowa remain tied for seventh, each at 0-5.
COMING UP...
With Bradley guaranteed to finish in the top six in the conference and its spot in the MVC Tournament secured, the Braves will await the official bracket release from The Valley to see who they will face on the Flames Outdoor Tennis Courts in Chicago. The tournament will take place from April 24-26.
