It is imperative that the Maroons take two victories this weekend.

After being barely edged aside by No. 24 UW–Whitewater on Friday and No. 18 Gustavus Adolphus on Saturday, No. 30 Chicago looks to rebound against DI Detroit Mercy on Friday and DePauw on Saturday.

Chicago will face adversity, however, with several players battling illness and injury.

Head coach Jay Tee is very familiar with Detroit Mercy, having coached against the team while at Cleveland State, a Horizon League rival. This season, the Titans hold a 2–6 record in non-conference play.

“Detroit came into the Horizon League as I was transitioning into a coaching role. Their coach, Grant Asher, did a tremendous job making them competitive within the Horizon League in only their first season since having their program dropped several years earlier,” Tee said. “We played them several times while I was at Cleveland State and the match was always closely contested.”

Saturday’s match against DePauw is highly anticipated, not just for the competition, but also for the crowd. The Maroons will hold their annual Alumni and Parents Night. Last year, the Maroons had hundreds of fans pack their indoor home in Burr Ridge.

“I’d like to see over 200 people pack the building for the match,” Tee said.

But the crowd will not earn the Maroons a victory.

“DePauw is a very strong team with great doubles,” Tee said. “Last year, we went to their place and were able to sweep them in doubles, which was remarkable. We will have to once again come out ready to play because they have the talent to beat us if we’re not ready.”

Both matches are scheduled for 6 p.m. at Five Seasons in Burr Ridge, IL.