Jan. 19, 2006

CHAMPAIGN, ill. - Five days after warming up at the Florida International Invite in Miami, No. 53 Illinois begins its spring dual match season at home Friday night against the Marquette Golden Eagles.

Head coach Sujay Lama's Illini started last season with a 7-0 defeat of Jody Bronson's Eagles in Milwaukee and returns five of six singles participants. Last year's No. 2 doubles tandem of senior Brianna Knue and sophomore Macall Harkins lead the Orange and Blue in 2006 in the top position.

Junior Emily Wang and sophomore Momei Qu are expected to play at No. 2, while freshman Shivani Davé makes her dual match debut with sophomore Alejandra Meza Cuadra in the third spot.

Four of six singles players return for the Eagles, including Maria Calbeto, Francina Bonnelly, Dominika Dabrowki and Erin Watkins. Gone are both the Illini's No. 1 player, Cynthya Goulet, and the Eagles' No. 1 player, Callan Smith.

Marquette has not played since October and is looking at a spring schedule that includes home matches against eight foes currently ranked by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Illinois is the first of the Eagles' six Big Ten opponents. Bronson's team also plays Illinois-Chicago, Notre Dame and Louisville, all Orange and Blue opponents.

Lama says the top portion of his lineup is well-fortified by a pair of sophomores and senior captain Brianna Knue.

"We are pretty solid as far as one, two and three - Macall, Momei and Brianna. The final spots are still up in the air between Emily (Wang), Shivani (Davé) and Alejandra (Meza Cuadra)." the Illini mentor said.

Early in the season is for evaluation, Lama says, noting that this weekend's competition should be a good indicator of how far the team has come and how far it has left to go.

"This is what we work for all year long. The best part of the year is the dual match season. I like to start with Marquette because we know them quite well and it's a Friday night so we can get more people to come out and watch us. It's going to be a good first match."

Sunday's match against 54th-ranked Western Michigan provides a chance for some Orange and Blue revenge against Illinois graduate and current Bronco head coach Betsy Kuhle.

"Don't forget, they upset us here last year," Lama said. "We are looking forward to the challenge."

The Broncos have a veteran squad, returning all six singles players from last year. They are also 1-1 following a 5-2 win vs. Indiana State and a 5-2 loss vs No. 32 Indiana. Both were played in Bloomington, Ind., last weekend.

The Broncos 4-3 defeat of the Illini was one of 20 victories that catapulted Kuhle's 04-05 to the school's fourth-most wins.

Including Illinois, six ranked squads will face Western Michigan this season and five Big Ten foes battle the Broncos. Both Lama's and Kuhle's teams play Notre Dame and Illinois State this season.