West Central Reporter

The Western Illinois University women's tennis team will begin its fall season this weekend at the SEMO Fall Invite, scheduled for Friday and Saturday at the John C. Bierk Tennis Complex. The event will feature teams from the University of Missouri-St Louis, Southeast Missouri State, and Maryville.

This marks the third season under head coach Luke Ogren. Last year, Western Illinois finished with a 12-9 overall record, which was their highest win total since 2018.

The Leathernecks return 11 players from last year's lineup. Key returnees include Richardlyne Francois and Nour Gueblaoui, who played in the top two singles positions last season. Mana Fawcett and Aubrey Brumbaugh are also back on the squad, as well as Denver Johnson, Nadezhda Petkova, Lara Rossetto Diniz de Souza, Chloe Routier, and Anna-Evelina Trush.

New additions to the roster are Maarja Leinstrep from Tallinn, Estonia—who previously played for over five years with EKSM tennis club—and Jessica Hess from Grabouw, South Africa. Hess joins after playing at Southern University.

Following this weekend's tournament, Western Illinois is set to compete at the Redbird Duals Meet in Normal, Illinois on September 20 and 21. The fall portion of their schedule concludes with participation in the OVC Tournament from September 26 through 28.

"WHAT | SEMO Fall Invite

WHEN | Friday, September 12, and Saturday, September 13

WHERE | John C. Bierk Tennis Complex"

For more information on Leatherneck Women's Tennis or to receive updates throughout the season, fans can visit GoLeathernecks.com or follow the team on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.