Men's Tennis Hits the Road, Visits Eastern Illinois and Lindenwood

 
CHARLESTON, Ill. – On a four-match winning streak, the Belmont University men's tennis team makes the trek to Eastern Illinois and Lindenwood this weekend. The Bruins (7-7, 2-0 Horizon) take on the Panthers (3-16, 2-0 Horizon) late Saturday morning at 11 a.m. at the Darling Courts in Charleston, Illinois, before traveling to St. Charles, Missouri, Sunday to face the Lions (2-9, 0-3 Horizon). First serve from the Lindenwood Tennis Facility is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
Belmont began its week of play Thursday afternoon with a 6-1 win on the opposite end of Belmont Boulevard at nearby rival Lipscomb. The non-conference victory was the Bruins' sixth straight in the rivalry.
 
Last weekend, Belmont picked up a gritty, 4-3 road triumph at the University of Alabama at Birmingham on Easter Sunday after downing crosstown Horizon League foe Tennessee State 5-2 last Saturday at the Beaman Family Tennis Complex.
 
The Bruins have never lost a match to a Horizon League opponent since joining the league last year. Belmont is an unblemished 12-0 in Horizon League play and 14-0 against league opponents, including the Horizon tournament.
 
The No. 2 doubles tandem of senior Tomas Luis and redshirt junior Diego Castro are the reigning Horizon League Doubles Team of the Week. The duo has won four in a row, along with senior Alfred Wallin and junior Ian Cruz at No. 3 doubles.
 
Cruz is on a seven-match singles winning streak and is 11-2 at the third position, while Luis has won four straight and is 11-2 on the year at No. 2 singles. Junior Gabriel Sardo has also won four consecutive matches at No. 6 singles, all in straight sets.
 
Last April, the Bruins blanked Eastern Illinois 7-0 on the road after earning a 6-1 win over the Panthers in Nashville. Belmont defeated Lindenwood 6-1 in Missouri last season after sweeping the Lions 4-0 at home.
 
After going 1-16 in non-conference play, Eastern Illinois won its first two Horizon League matches. The Panthers picked up a 5-2 victory at Lindenwood on March 23 and defeated Southern Indiana 5-2 at home last Saturday.
 
The Lions enter the weekend on a five-match slide and dropped their first three Horizon League outings. Lindenwood was swept 7-0 at Tennessee State last Friday and 4-0 at Tennessee Tech last Saturday.
 
Up Next
The Bruins return to the Music City and following a 13-day break from match action host the Golden Eagles of Tennessee Tech on Saturday, April 20. First serve from the Beaman Family Tennis Complex is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
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