NCAA Womens Tennis

Fighting Illini Open Big Ten Play with Win Over Maryland

Rutgers

URBANA, Ill.  – In its first outdoor home match of the season, the Illinois women’s tennis team opened Big Ten play with a 4-1 win over Maryland on Friday. The Orange and Blue have now won 11 consecutive meetings over the Terrapins.

No. 46 Illinois moves to 9-5 on the season with the victory and 1-0 in league action. The Orange and Blue are now 6-1 in home matches this season. No. 49 Maryland moves to 9-5 on the season and 0-1 in Big Ten play.

Illinois clinched its eighth doubles point of the season on Friday, from the Atkins Tennis Center.

McKenna Schaefbauer and Kasia Treiber teamed up at No. 3 doubles and were the first tandem done after securing a 6-2 win. The match was the first time the team has teamed up.

No. 35 Megan Heuser and Alice Xu climbed to 9-1 when working together this season with a 6-3 win at No. 1 doubles on Friday to clinch the opening point of the match for Illinois. The Illini tandem trailed 2-1 before winning three straight games to take the lead.

Xu appeared in singles action for the third time in a dual match this season and climbed to 2-0 in dual play. The freshman was the first off the singles courts following her 6-1, 6-1 straight-set win at No. 6.

Maryland got on the board next, taking the decision at No. 3 singles 6-1, 6-2.

Ferrari battled to a 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 5 singles to give Illinois a 3-1 lead over the Terps. Ferrari is up to a 7-2 record on the dual campaign.

Moments later, Heuser clinched her second match of the season for the Fighting Illini. After going down 2-0 early in the opening frame, she battled back to lead…

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