SIUE (14-3, 2-2 OVC) vs. Belmont (10-7, 3-2 OVC) // vs. Tennessee St. (0-11, 0-3 OVC)
Match 18: Belmont	Friday, April 15 // 11 a.m. CT // SIUE Tennis Courts
Match 19: Tennessee St.	Saturday, April 16 // 11 a.m. CT // SIUE Tennis Courts
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LAST TIME OUT
The Cougars split against two perennial powerhouse programs last weekend, starting with an impressive 7-0 rout over Murray State on Saturday afternoon. The last time SIUE defeated the Racers in Murray was in the program's historic 2016-17 season, as the Red & White notched a 7-0 win over the host Racers. SIUE then travelled to Clarksville, Tennessee, for a Sunday morning contest at Austin Peay. Despite a competitive outing, the Cougars could not overcome a slow start and left the Volunteer State with just their third loss of the season.

CONFERENCE CALL
SIUE has an opportunity to clinch its first appearance in the Ohio Valley Conference Women's Tennis Championship since 2017. Below are scenarios which would result in the Cougars clinching a postseason berth this weekend:

• SIUE defeats Belmont AND Tennessee State
• SIUE defeats Belmont OR Tennessee State, AND Eastern Illinois loses to Tennessee State OR Belmont

TRIPLE DOUBLES
SIUE's potent doubles play was recognized as the best in the Ohio Valley Conference for two consecutive weeks to start the season, as Caitlyn Sporing and Melissa Vizcardo's impressive efforts garnered the duo's first OVC Doubles Team of the Week honors for the week of February 21. This award followed the announcement, which saw Vanessa Reinicke and Jordan Schifano earn Doubles Team of the Week the week prior. And two weeks ago, the team of Jill Lambrechts and Maria Thibault became the third-different SIUE doubles team to claim OVC Doubles Team of the Week honors. The Cougars won three of the first four Doubles Team of the Week honors awarded by the OVC this season, becoming the first program in league history to accomplish the feat.

CONSISTENT IMPROVEMENT
Since assuming the helm of the SIUE tennis program, Head Coach Adam Albertsen has seen the Cougars improve at a pace matched by few other programs in Division I tennis. 

Albertsen oversaw a six-win increase during his first season, followed by a three-win improvement in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign. In the 2021 spring season, the Cougars reached double-digit wins for the first time since 2016. And now in his fourth season in Edwardsville, the program has more than doubled its win total from his first season, reaching 14 wins with three matches remaining on the Cougars' schedule. 

HISTORY MADE
The Cougars put together their best start in six seasons and their second-best start in the program's Division I era with nine consecutive wins to begin the 2022 season. 

1. 2016-17 (21-0)
2. 2021-22 (9-0)
3. 2020-21 (3-0)
   2011-12 (3-0)

SCOUTING THE BRUINS
The Belmont Bruins enter Friday's contest at 10-7 overall and 3-2 in OVC play, having defeated Tennessee State (7-0), Murray State (4-3), and UT Martin (5-2) this season. Outside of conference play, the Bruins and Cougars have two common opponents this spring - IUPUI (SIUE won 7-0, Belmont won 6-1) and Western Kentucky (SIUE lost 1-4, Belmont lost 1-6). SIUE holds a 5-3 advantage in the all-time series, and the Cougars earned a thrilling 4-3 win in their most recent meeting on April 3, 2021. 

SCOUTING THE TIGERS
The Tennessee State Tigers made their return to women's tennis this season after a one-year hiatus. The Tigers sit at 0-11 overall and 0-3 in conference play. TSU has yet to earn a match point in any contest this spring, having been shut out in all 11 of their matches played. The Cougars have defeated the Tigers in seven of their eight all-time meetings, registering a 6-1 road win in their most recent meeting on April 5, 2019.