Events: Missouri State (5-11, 0-1 MVC) at UNI (8-4, 1-0) | Drake (8-6, 0-1)
Dates & Times: Saturday, April 8, 1 p.m. | Sunday, April 9, 11 a.m.
Locations: Black Hawk Tennis Club | Roger Knapp Tennis Center
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SPRINGFIELD -- The Missouri State tennis team plays its first Missouri Valley Conference matches since January this weekend when the Bears travel to Iowa for contests at UNI and Drake.

MSU Notables
Missouri State is 5-11 overall and 0-1 in Missouri Valley Conference matches...Missouri State went 1-6 in MVC play in 2015, and 3-4 last season...Freshman Alye Darter won six consecutive matches from Feb. 10-26, including five at the No. 1 singles spot...MSU owns a 9-7 record at No. 5 singles this season - its best mark at any position - spread among three different players...The Bears are 9-4 in their last 13 home matches...Darter (13) and sophomore Phoebe Boeschen (11) rank 1-2 among the Bears in singles wins this season.

The Opponents
UNI is 8-4 overall and won its conference opener against Drake last week, 4-3. The Panthers own a .611 singles winning percentage in dual matches, led by Gisela Kemper's 10-2 record. Drake is 8-6 on the season and 0-1 in MVC matches. In duals, Drake players are 37-36 in singles and 19-14 in doubles competition.

The Series
Missouri State is 16-5 all-time against UNI, splitting the last two seasons with a 4-3 win in Springfield last year. The Bears are 8-18 versus Drake, with a 1-3 mark in the last two years that includes a 4-3 home victory in 2016. 

Up Next
The Bears conclude their 10-match road trip next week at Evansville and Southern Illinois on April 14 and 15, and host Illinois State at 10 a.m. on April 21 and Bradley at the same time on April 23 to finish the regular season. The MVC Tournament takes play April 28-30 in Normal, Ill.