DECATUR — Shelby Jones (Alton, Marquette Catholic H.S.) and Amber Rezinas (Shelbyville, Shelbyville H.S.) will be key senior players this season for the Millikin University Tennis team.
Jones was a star during her career at Marquette Catholic.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
This fall will be the fifth under the direction of Alex Covington.
Last spring, women’s tennis placed fourth in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin regular season, picking up the program’s first ever win against Carthage College. In the CCIW Automatic Qualifier Tournament, Millikin defeated Carroll in the opening round before falling to eventual AQ winner North Central College.
“I think the wins and successes we had last season are going to motivate us to continue improving,” Covington said. “We know what we are capable of and how hard we work for our goals.”
Millikin will travel to Lexington, Ky. for an invitational tournament at Transylvania University and to Terre Haute, Ind. for a non-conference battle with Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology before beginning their conference schedule.
The Big Blue’s conference season kicks off in Naperville, Ill. against North Central on Friday, September 17. In addition to matchups with the regular CCIW foes, the women’s tennis team will take a late-September trip to Kalamazoo, Mich. to compete in the ITA Tournament and will meet Saint Ambrose University on their home courts in Davenport, Iowa in mid-October.
The CCIW Tournament hosted by Elmhurst University from October 21-23 will culminate the fall season.
Millikin’s lineup will feature several returners, including 2021 Second Team All-Conference player Nikol Obradovic. As a freshman, the San Jose, Calif. native notched a 10-7 record at No. 1 singles, highlighted by a six-match win streak to close out the season.
Brianna Barconi (South Elgin, Ill., South Elgin H.S.) is the lone junior on the roster this fall. Returning for their second season is the crew of Cristina Borunda (Chihuahua, Mexico, John Paul II H.S.), Destiny Galvan (Levelland, Texas, Levelland H.S.), Taylor Milholland (Westville, Ill., Westville H.S.), and Obradovic.
Several new faces will join the women’s team including Emily Markus (Irvine, Calif., University H.S.), Kaitlyn Mullins (Lombard, Ill., Glenbard East H.S.), Paiton Plucinski (Island Lake, Ill., Wauconda H.S.), Chloe Sabin (Lees Summit, Mo., Lees Summit West H.S.), Zariah Wherry (Pekin, Ill.), and Paige Willer (Decatur, Ill., Mt. Zion H.S.)
“We have a great group of young women who have amazing energy and determination,” Covington said, “I am very excited to see what this group will achieve.”
More like this:
