No. 15 Men’s Tennis Open Big Ten Competition at Penn State, No. 1 Ohio State

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – No. 15 Fighting Illini men’s tennis will begin Big Ten play against Penn State on Friday, March 22, at 4 p.m. CT in University Park, Pa., before heading to Columbus, Ohio, to face No. 1 Ohio State on Sunday, March 24, at 11 a.m. CT at the Ty Tucker Tennis Center. 

History

Illinois has an impressive 37-5 record over Penn State, including back-to-back 4-0 wins in 2022 and 2023. The Illini have not lost to the Nittany Lions since 2016, when Illinois fell, 4-3, in State College. 

Illinois holds a 61-57-1 record over Ohio State, with the first match coming over 100 years ago on May 17, 1920, when the two teams tied, 3-3.

The Illini have faced the Buckeyes 11 times in the past five seasons, with Illinois holding a record of 1-10. The lone win came on the 4-3 clinch of the 2021 Big Ten Tournament championship.

Illinois faced Ohio State on March 6 for the two teams’ annual non-conference match. The Buckeyes walked away with a 4-1 victory. 

Scouting Report

Penn State is currently on an eight-match losing streak in which the Nittany Lions have only scored one point since Feb. 4. Their last win came when they defeated Mount St. Mary’s, 4-3, at home. 

Since the Illini and Buckeyes played earlier this month, Ohio State suffered its first loss of the season, a 5-2 road defeat on March 10 to No. 8 Texas. 

Ohio State will face off with Northwestern to open Big Ten action at 5 p.m. CT on Friday.