April 15, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The 61st-ranked Penn State men's tennis team (14-7, 2-4) hosts two highly talented Big Ten teams in No. 17 Illinois and No. 41 Indiana this weekend.
The Nittany Lions will first square off the Fighting Illini at 3 p.m. on Friday. Penn State will then close the weekend with the Hoosiers on Sunday beginning at noon. The Indiana match is also Kids Day. All action will take place at the Sarni Tennis Center. Both matches can be followed via a live stats link on GoPSUSports.com.
Last Time Out: Penn State snapped its four-match losing streak on Sunday with an exciting 4-3 win over Michigan State and a 6-1 victory over Bloomsburg. In the match vs. the Spartans, Penn State came out and won the doubles point to garner the early 1-0 lead. Then, with the match tied at three, junior Eddie Bourchier (Hobart, Australia) won his match over Ronnie Hulewicz, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4, to clinch the victory for Penn State. Bourchier went 2-0 on the weekend including an upset over Michigan's 41st-ranked Jason Jung, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3.
Scouting Illinois: The 17th-ranked Illini head into this weekend's match with an 14-8 overall record and an undefeated 6-0 mark in conference play. Illinois' talented lineup features three ranked singles players. Dennis Nevolo, ranked 37th in the latest ITA Rankings, carries a 12-9 record in singles action, including 9-9 when playing in the No. 1 bout against elite players. Marek Czerwinski enters the match with Penn State at 64th. Czerwinski carries an overall record of 14-6 as he has seen time in the No. 1 and 2 spots. Abe Souza rounds out the Illini's ranked players as he sits at No. 76.
All-Time vs. Illini: Illinois holds a distinct 23-3 advantage over the Nittany Lions all-time. Last season, the Illini downed Penn State, 7-0, in Champaign. Penn State last defeated Illinois during the Big Ten Tournament in 1995 with a 4-3 victory over the Illini.
Scouting Indiana: The Hoosiers head into this weekend at 12-6 with a 3-3 record in conference play. Santiago Grueter leads the way for Indiana as he holds an 11-6 record in dual matches, including a 5-3 mark when playing in the No. 1 spot. Josh MacTaggart leads the Hoosiers with 12 wins in singles action.
All-Time vs. the Hoosiers: Penn State holds a 7-12 all-time record vs. Indiana. Last season, the Hoosiers stole one from the Nittany Lions in a 4-3 victory for Indiana. The last time Penn State defeated Indiana was on April 20, 2008, as Nittany Lions knocked off the Hoosiers, 5-2.
Bourchier 98th in the Latest ITA Singles Rankings: After strong play last weekend, Eddie Bourchier has climbed his way into Campbell's ITA Rankings. Bourchier currently sits at No. 98 after earning victories over No. 41 Jason Jung of Michigan and Ronnie Hulewicz of Michigan State. The junior is currently 9-4 when playing No. 1 in the Penn State lineup and holds a 3-2 record vs. nationally ranked opponents. Bourchier is also 4-2 vs. Big Ten opponents. The last Penn State player to be ranked was Michael James in 2008.
What's Next: Following this weekend's matches, Penn State will travel to Wisconsin and Northwestern next weekend to close out the regular season. The Big Ten Championship begins on April 29 in Bloomington, Ind.