The University of Illinois Springfield women's tennis team will compete in its fifth straight GLVC Tournament this weekend in St. Louis, Mo. The Prairie Stars will face Drury in a first-round match on Friday.
 
UIS enters postseason play with a 9-8 overall record. It finished in a tie for second in the GLVC East Division, and will be the three-seed out of the division. The Prairie Stars ended the season strong, winning their last three matches, including home victories over Maryville and Lindenwood last weekend.
 
The Prairie Stars have been led by the depth of their lineup this season. UIS has won nearly 60 percent of its matches from the No. 2 through No. 4 singles spots, and is 18-15 in the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles positions.
 
Riann Hsu was named the GLVC Player of the Week on Tuesday. It was her second time this season winning the award. She leads the team with a 12-4 singles record, and a 10-5 doubles mark. Carmen Llopis Fabra and Franca Bucco both have double-figure single win total as well, and Piper Schrepferman has 10 doubles victories on the year.
 
UIS is 1-4 in its previous trips to the conference tournament. It reached the semifinals in 2019 with a 4-3 victory over Maryville in the first round.
 
UIS vs. Drury
Date/Time/Location: Friday, April 29, 2:00 p.m. – St. Louis, Mo.
All-Time Series (NCAA Era): Drury leads 4-0

Drury enters the GLVC Tournament with a 15-2 mark. It finished second in the GLVC West Division with a 5-1 mark. The Panthers were ranked 27^th in this week's national rankings. They have won seven straight matches, including victories over Quincy and Truman State last weekend.
 
Alma Abazi and Nastasia Jedrychowski lead the Panthers at the top of the lineup. Jedrychowski is 10-6, including a 6-1 record at No. 2. Abazi is 12-2, including a 9-0 mark when playing No. 2. Maria De la Torre is the team's primary No. 6 player, and she is 10-0 on the year. In doubles, the team of Abazi and Jedrychowski is 11-3 this season.
 
UIS and Drury played a non-conference game earlier this year, with Drury winning 7-0. The Panthers won all nine matches in their home match.
 
Rest of the Field
The winner of Friday's contest will face the winner of the Indianapolis and Rockhurst on Saturday at 12 p.m. The championship match will be Sunday at noon. The other first-round matchups on the other side of the bracket are Southwest Baptist vs. Maryville, and Lewis vs. Missouri-St. Louis.
 
UIS defeated Maryville this year, and fell to Indianapolis, Lewis, and Missouri-St. Louis. The Prairie Stars have not played Southwest Baptist or Rockhurst this season.
 
Up Next
The winner of the GLVC Tournament will receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.