KALAMAZOO - Western Michigan men's tennis will head to Iowa for three non-conference matches. The Broncos are set to face Drake tomorrow morning in Des Moines before traveling to the University of Iowa on Saturday for a 12 p.m. ET contest. They will then close out their Hawkeye State road trip back in Des Moines on Sunday, where they will take on Gonzaga in a morning neutral site match-up.
SCOUTING DRAKE
The Bulldogs are the reigning two-time Summit League postseason champions, earning a 19-14 overall record in 2019 and an automatic bid into the NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Tournament. They were picked to finish second in the 2020 Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll, despite graduating four all-conference selections.
Drake will rely on a large group of underclassmen, which includes four freshmen. Junior Finley Hall is the top returning singles player for the Bulldogs after going 8-6 in dual play last year. Drake defeated Western Michigan 6-1 on 3/10/19 in Kalamazoo.
SCOUTING IOWA
The Hawkeyes posted an overall record of 18-10 last season, finishing sixth in the final Big Ten standings for 2019. They fell in the conference quarterfinals to Penn State in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Redshirt senior Kareem Allaf was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team last year and is currently ranked 60th in the ITA men's singles poll. The Broncos and Hawkeyes have split their last two meetings, which included a 5-2 victory for WMU in 2018.
SCOUTING GONZAGA
The Bulldogs finished second in the WCC for 2019, going 16-8 overall. They have been picked to place fourth in the conference preseason poll for the 2020 season.
Senior Sam Feit earned All-WCC First Team honors last season after finishing 17-5 in singles action. This will be the first match-up against Gonzaga in WMU program history.
STARTING 2020 STRONG
Western Michigan began its 2020 dual season schedule on Sunday, defeating Butler 5-2 and Illinois Chicago 6-1 at the West Hills Athletic Club in Kalamazoo. The Broncos have now started 2-0 in six consecutive seasons.
DOUBLES TEAM OF THE WEEK
Jannik Opitz and
Kennosuke Nouchi were named the first Mid-American Conference Doubles Team of the Week for the 2020 campaign on Wednesday. They went 2-0 at #1 doubles on Sunday, picking up victories against Thomas Brennan and Olof Wiklund from Butler 6-4, and Johan Hedstrom and Kasper Parlklo of UIC 6-2. This marks the fourth time that Opitz and Nouchi have earned this accolade together.
UP NEXT
The Broncos will stay on road, with non-conference matches against Illinois State and Valparaiso next weekend.
#WeWillReign
