Aug. 4, 2015

2015-16 Schedule | Printable Schedule | Follow @msubearstennis

SPRINGFIELD - Missouri State looks ahead to a loaded lineup as the Bears' women's tennis team will play in four fall tournaments and 23 dual matches - 10 of which will come at Springfield's Cooper Tennis Complex - before the Missouri Valley Conference Tennis Team Championship, as head coach Mallory Weber announced the release of MSU's complete 2015-16 schedule on Tuesday, Aug. 4.

The Bears open fall play at the Drury Invitational, which will be an exhibition event that consists of several Missouri universities at Cooper Tennis Complex from Saturday, Sept. 12, through Sunday, Sept. 13.

The following week MSU heads to the Central Arkansas Invitational for its second tournament of the season. The Bears head to Peoria, Ill., from Oct. 2-4 for the MVC Individual Tennis Championship and end their fall schedule at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Central Regional Championships in Stillwater, Okla., which runs from Oct. 15-19.

"We are looking forward to our fall tournaments because they provide us a great opportunity to get a lot of matches in during a short period of time," Weber said. "It's great that our first opportunity to compete will be here at home in some exhibition matches before hitting the road to play our three main fall tournaments. I believe that not having any seniors last year will be very beneficial to our confidence going into fall play. Our two freshmen are lucky to have such a strong core group to look up to and gain experience from as they start their collegiate journey."

Missouri State begins dual play Friday, Jan. 15, 2016, with a home match versus seven-time defending MVC-champion Wichita State. The Bears get a week off before hosting Big 12-member Kansas State on Saturday, Jan. 23, then hit a stretch of eight-straight matches away from Springfield.

The Bears close January with back-to-back matches against Iowa and Creighton before heading to in-state rival Missouri, coach Weber's alma mater, for a matchup on Feb. 6.

MSU travels for five matches in a nine-day span, as the Bears take on Central Arkansas, McNeese State, Texas-Arlington, Sam Houston State and Arkansas Pine Bluff from Feb. 12-Feb. 21.

"The biggest difference with our main spring schedule from last year to this year is that we have gone from only four home matches to 10," Weber said. "We have a couple home matches early and then hit the road for quite a stretch in February, but I believe that what this team endured last season on the road has prepared them well for that road swing."

Weber's squad returns to Springfield for eight of its final 13 regular season contests.

The Bears end February and head into March with a three-match homestand which includes dates with Saint Louis (Feb. 26), Nebraska-Omaha (March 4) and Southeast Missouri State (March 6).

After a three-dual away stretch at Chicago State, Western Illinois and Arkansas State, MSU takes on South Dakota State in its final nonconference match of the year on Sunday, March 20.

MVC play resumes on Saturday, April 9, when the Bears welcome the Drake Bulldogs to Cooper Tennis Complex for Missouri State's second conference dual of the season. Northern Iowa comes up the following day for a morning contest, while MSU will take on Illinois State and Bradley on the road for its final away contests of the year from April 16-17.

The regular season comes to an end with the Bears hosting Evansville on April 22 and Southern Illinois April 24. All eight MVC women's tennis teams will travel to Wichita, Kansas, for the MVC Team Tennis Championship which begins Friday, April 29, with quarterfinals action. Semifinals are scheduled for April 30 and the MVC Championship is set for May 1.

"The Missouri Valley is a tough conference and this schedule will challenge us in our nonconference matches to prepare us for what we will see in April," Weber said. "We have the opportunity to play three schools coming out of the Power Five conferences in K-State, Missouri and Iowa, in addition to numerous other tough teams. We look to build upon what we started last year and continue to improve. We certainly have many opportunities to do that with this schedule."

Missouri State lost to second-seeded Drake to end its season last year in the quarterfinals of the MVC Team Tennis Championship, finishing with a 4-17 dual record. The Bears return six student-athletes from a season ago with two newcomers joining the squad for the upcoming campaign.

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