West Central Reporter

The Western Illinois University (WIU) tennis team has secured the second seed in their conference following a victory over Lindenwood. The win extends their successful run to three consecutive wins in conference play.

The match began with doubles play, where WIU lost two of the three matches. The pair of Nour Gueblaoui and Richardlyne Francois achieved a 6-3 victory at No. 1. However, at No. 2, Chloé Routier and Mana Fawcett fell after a close tiebreaker, losing 6-7 (7-9). Paige Grice and Lara Souza struggled at No. 3, losing 0-6, which awarded the doubles point to Lindenwood.

Western Illinois managed a comeback in singles matches. Francois won a tough three-set match, rebounding from a 5-7 loss in the first set to win the next two 7-5 and 10-7. Routier delivered a strong performance at No. 2, winning 6-1 and then 7-6 (7-4) in a tiebreaker. Grice, at No. 3, achieved a straightforward win of 6-0, 6-4, extending WIU's lead to 3-1.

Souza fought hard at No. 4 but lost the first set 5-7 and the second 3-6. Gueblaoui overcame a first-set loss of 1-6 to win the next two sets at 6-2 and 6-4 at No. 5. Fawcett secured the overall team victory with a straight-set win at No. 6, claiming the first set in a tiebreak 7-6 (7-4) and winning the second 6-2.

The comprehensive 5-2 team win has maintained WIU's momentum as they advance further into the conference. The team will face the Tennessee State Tigers at home for senior day on Saturday, April 12.

For more information on the Leatherneck Women's Tennis team, please visit GoLeathernecks.com. Updates are available on X, Instagram, and Facebook.