DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University men's tennis team opens Missouri Valley Conference play on Saturday with a doubleheader against Southern Illinois and Illinois State at the Roger Knapp Tennis Center.
 
Drake starts the day against Southern Illinois at 9 a.m. and then square off against the Redbirds at 2:30 p.m.

The Bulldogs will look to snap a three-game skid and open MVC action on a high note. Drake closed out the non-conference season with a 12-11 record after dropping a pair of 4-3 decisions to Denver and UC Santa Barbara. Sophomore Vinny Gillespie, who is ranked 83rd in singles nationally, leads the team with a 16-3 record at the No. 1 singles spot. Tom Hands, who is seen action at the No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 spots in the lineup, has a 13-6 mark and has gone 6-3 in his last 10 matches.
 
Southern Illinois is coming off an impressive 4-1 win over Wichita State and holds a 15-2 record. The Salukis have four players with 11 or more singles wins and are led by Piotr Baranski, who is ranked 113th national with a 12-0 record. Wilder Pimentel has recorded a team-best 14 wins this season, followed by Michal Kianicka with 13.
 
Illinois State has dropped 10 of its last 12 matches. The Redbirds fell to Wichita State, 7-0, to open MVC play last weekend. Andreas Boers is the only Redbird with a winning singles record with a 9-7 mark, but has lost his last two matches.
 
Drake will close out the regular season on April 15 when it travels to Wichita State.