HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky's men's tennis returns home to Five Seasons in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, to host Eastern Illinois on Saturday, Feb. 23. First serve against the Panthers is set for 5 p.m.
 
The Norse are coming off a 7-0 setback at No. 44 Louisville. Nathan Schwartz was the only Norse to take a set off of a Cardinal, falling 6-2, 4-6, 1-0(4) in No. 2 singles to Fabien Salle. Schwartz also competed well in doubles action alongside Blaine Carr, as the two were trailing by a slim 5-4 margin to Salle and Federico Gomez when the set was abandoned.
 
Eastern Illinois enters Saturday carrying a 6-6 mark and they are no stranger to Horizon League opponents as the Norse will be the fourth team from the league that the Panthers will have faced this season. Eastern Illinois suffered setbacks to IUPUI, 4-1, and UIC, 5-2, but defeated Wright State, 4-2. The Panthers will also face a common foe with the Norse this evening as they take on Dayton in Indianapolis. Eastern Illinois has a strong front end of the singles lineup with Freddie O'Brien and Mike Jansen combining for a 13-7 record in No. 1 and 2 singles. Conversely, it has been the back end of the doubles lineup that has scored well for the Panthers, with Jansen and Daniel Hernandez holding a 6-1 record in No. 2 doubles while O'Brien and Logan Charbonneau are 6-0 in the No. 3 spot.
 
The two programs have not faced each other since the 1988 season, when Eastern Illinois claimed a 9-0 victory over the Norse.