TERRE HAUTE, Ind.  -  SIUE tennis did not drop a set in singles play en route to a 7-0 sweep over Eastern Illinois on Tuesday afternoon, as the Cougars earned their first OVC win of the 2021 season.

"I love how we came out as a team with high energy from the start," said SIUE Head Coach Adam Albertsen following the match. "It was easy to see our team took a big step forward from our match against Jacksonville State."

After securing two of three sets to win the doubles point, the Cougars carried that momentum into singles play. Every SIUE player won their respective singles match in straight sets, led by wins by Jill Lambrechts on the No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles courts. Freshmen Fabiola Perez notched her sixth singles win of the season on the No. 4 court, while Jordan Schifano returned to the win column, improving to 9-1 in singles play with a 7-6, 6-1 victory in the No. 3 position. Vanessa Reinicke, Nicole Gomez, and Callaghan Adams also earned straight set wins over the Panthers, while Maria Thibault and Caitlyn Sporing helped the Cougars secure the opening doubles point.

"This team continues to grow," added Albertsen. "We'll look to take this win and OVC experience into Belmont next weekend."

The Cougars, who improve to 8-4 overall and 1-1 in OVC play, will return to Edwardsville on Saturday afternoon to host the Belmont Bruins. Live stats will be available at SIUEStats.com.