Oct. 19, 2009
2009-10 Complete Schedule
URBANA, Ill. - The University of Illinois women's tennis team announced its 2010 spring schedule on Monday. The squad will host nine matches at the Atkins Tennis Center / Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex, including five against Big Ten opponents Northwestern, Wisconsin, Purdue, Ohio State and Penn State. Additionally, the Orange and Blue will face seven opponents that finished in the top 25 of the final Campbell's/ITA rankings last season.
"We have a very challenging schedule, but along with plenty of challenge comes plenty of opportunity," head coach Michelle Dasso said. "Our team wants to finish the fall on a high note and continue to improve and work hard in the offseason, so they're prepared for the dual match season that they love so much."
The Illini open the season on the road for the entire month of January, traveling to the Central Florida Invitational Jan. 16-18, before battling Tennessee, which finished at No. 10 last season, on Jan. 22 and Virginia on Jan. 24 in their first dual-meet matches of the year. They close out the month at Clemson, where they will meet Mississippi, which finished at No. 21 (Jan. 30), and either Clemson (No. 11) or Texas A&M (Jan. 31).
The first home meet of the season will be on Feb. 5 against a Florida State program that finished 19th last season, followed by a doubleheader versus Marquette and Western Illinois on Feb. 7. The Illini will then head to Madison, Wis., for the ITA Team Indoor Championship Feb. 11-14, before two tough matches against top-five opponents including Notre Dame (No. 5) on the road (Feb. 20) and Northwestern (No. 2) at home on Feb. 26, before rounding out the month against Harvard on Feb. 28.
Eight of the Illini's final 12 matches will be on the road, including stops at TCU (March 7), Indiana (March 12), South Carolina (March 24), which finished at No. 17, College of Charleston (March 26), Iowa (April 10), Minnesota (April 11), Michigan (April 24), which finished at No. 18 and Michigan State (April 25), while hosting Wisconsin (March 19), Purdue (April 4), Ohio State (April 17) and Penn State (April 18).
The Big Ten Championships will be held April 29-May 2 at the University of Iowa, with the NCAA Championships being held May 20-31 at the University of Georgia's Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga.
