CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Next up, Illinois returns home to host Ole Miss on Sunday, Feb. 11. Action from the Atkins Tennis Center is slated for 11 a.m. CT. Admission to home regular season matches is free. There will be a Lunar New Year celebration promotion at the match.
LAST TIME OUT
Through three weekends of action, Illinois sits at 4-2 on the season with an upset over No. 23 UCF last time out. The victory marked Illinois’ first win over a top-25 ranked opponent since an upset at No. 21 Wisconsin on April 14, 2023.
Illinois is now 1-2 against top-25 ranked opponents, falling to No. 15 Duke and No. 19 Cal.
ILLINI VS. THE FIELD
Illinois is 0-4 all-time against Ole Miss. The most recent meeting occurred during ITA Kickoff Weekend during the 2013 spring campaign.
ILLINI NOTES
Head coach Evan Clark is in his ninth year as the head coach of Illinois women’s tennis and holds an overall dual record of 119-79 (.601) and is 58-28 (.674) in Big Ten play during his time as an Illini. Including his time as the head coach at UNC-Wilmington, Clark owns a 150-90 record overall.
The Illini are coming off an 18-10 season with an 8-3 Big Ten record in 2022-23. The Illini’s 18 wins tied the sixth-most in a single season in program history. UI earned the 14th appearance to the NCAA Team Tournament in program history. The last time Illinois made the NCAA Tournament as a team was the 2019 campaign. The 2023 appearance marked the third with Clark at the helm.
Illinois returns six of its eight players from last season, including fifth-year senior Josie Frazier and senior Kate Duong. Additionally, Megan Heuser, Kasia Treiber, and Kida Ferrari return for their junior campaigns and Violeta Martinez begins her sophomore dual season. The Illini welcomed South Carolina-transfer, but Illinois native, McKenna Schaefbauer along with freshmen Rosie Seccia and Alice Xu.
CLINCHES
Jan. 14 vs. Missouri – Violeta Martinez (No. 4 singles)
Jan. 14 vs. EIU – Violeta Martinez (No. 2 singles)
Jan. 19 vs. Charlotte – Megan Heuser (No. 1 singles)
Jan. 28 vs. No. 23 UCF – Kasia Treiber (No. 3 singles)
RANKING NOTES
Team
Doubles
Singles
NEXT UP
Illinois remains home for its next two matches, hosting Brown and Marshall on Feb. 17-18, respectively.
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