ANN ARBOR, Mich. – With Thursday’s Big Ten Women’s Tennis Tournament Second Round win over 12th-seeded Rutgers, Illinois will make its 16th straight quarterfinal appearance – a streak that began in 2008. The fifth-seeded Fighting Illini earned the 4-1 win over Rutgers from the Varsity Tennis Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Illinois improved to a 17-8 overall record with the win. Rutgers closes the season with a 12-12 record. Illinois is now 10-0 all-time against Rutgers, including 8-0 under head coach Evan Clark.
The Fighting Illini secured the doubles point over the Scarlet Knights with wins at No. 1 and No. 3, respectively. Illinois won its 15th doubles point of the season.
No. 83-ranked Kate Duong and Megan Heuser jumped out to a 5-0 lead at No. 1 doubles before securing the 6-2 victory. The duo is now 6-6 on the season including a 2-1 mark in duals – all in the top slot. Kasia Treiber and McKenna Schaefbauer worked to a 4-0 advantage at No. 3 doubles before Rutgers battled to within 4-3. From there, the Illini duo won the next two games to earn the 6-3 victory. Treiber and Schaefbauer are now 8-3 overall and in duals, which includes a 7-2 record at No. 3 doubles.
Treiber was the first off the singles courts after earning a 6-2, 7-5 win at No. 5 singles. The junior led wire-to-wire in the opening frame but trailed 4-5 in set two before rattling off three straight games to secure the straight-set victory. Treiber’s win gave the Illini a 2-0 lead on the match and pushed her overall record on the season to 17-13 including a 14-8 mark in duals.
The Scarlet Knights got on the board next to pull within 2-1 on the scoreboard after earning the point at No. 1 singles.
Moments later, Josie Frazier secured Illinois’ second straight-set win of the match with a 6-2, 7-5 victory at No. 4 singles. Frazier went up 5-0 in her first set before closing out the 6-2 margin. In set two, the fifth-year trailed 1-5 before rattling off six consecutive games to secure the 7-5 win. Frazier owns a 14-9 overall record, which includes an 11-5 recording in duals.
Schaefbauer would go on to clinch the 4-1 victory for Illinois with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles. The win marked Schaefbauer’s first time clinching a match for the Illini. The sophomore improved to a 17-8 overall record, which includes a 14-5 mark in dual…
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