University of Southern Indiana Men’s Tennis was tabbed for a fifth-place finish in the 2020 Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division standings Thursday, per the league’s coaches.
The Screaming Eagles ranked fourth in the GLVC East in 2019, posting an 11-13 record overall, going 2-3 in league action, qualifying for the eight-team GLVC Tournament last season.
Sophomore Marvin Kromer and junior Spencer Blandford represent USI’s leading returners from a year ago. Kromer posted an overall singles record of 14-8, including a 9-3 record in the third slot. Blandford went 15-5 in singles No. 4 last season en route to a 16-7 overall mark.
USI participated in two individual tournaments last fall, finding success at the Eastern Illinois University Panther Invite. Over the two-day event the Eagles collected 26 victories with freshmen Preston Cameron and Lucas Sakamaki walking away as champions in their respective flights. Kromer and Blandford teamed up to post a perfect slate in doubles action.
With the entrance of Lindenwood University and Southwest Baptist University into the GLVC for the 2019-20 athletic year, there has been a shuffle in the division setup from the 2019 season, where the GLVC East now features eight teams as opposed to six a season ago.
Along with this divisional shift came a new nine-match league slate where the Eagles will do battle with the other seven East division squads, along with Drury University and the University of Missouri-St. Louis of the West division.
USI Men’s Tennis opens the spring season February 7 as the Eagles host Brescia University at the Evansville Tennis Center. The GLVC slate opens with the March 6 bout at Drury.
2020 Men’s Tennis Preseason Poll (First Place Votes)
EAST
1. Indianapolis 104 (13)
2. Lewis 88 (1)
3. Maryville 70
4. Illinois Springfield 59
5. Southern Indiana 58
6. Lindenwood 43
7. McKendree 39
8. Bellarmine 35
WEST
1. Drury 72 (6)
2. Southwest Baptist 70 (7)
3. Missouri-St. Louis 54
4. Rockhurst 42
5. William Jewell 28
6. Quincy 22
