April 6, 2012
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The 19th-ranked University of Illinois women's tennis team (12-5, 4-1 Big Ten) will travel to Michigan for a pair of Big Ten showdowns this weekend, facing the No. 15 Wolverines (12-5, 5-0) on Saturday in Ann Arbor and Michigan State (8-8, 0-5) on Sunday in East Lansing. Both matches are slated to begin at 11 a.m. CT.
FOR STARTERS
Illinois is 11-25 all-time against Michigan and has lost its last eight meetings with the Wolverines dating back to 2005. Last season, the Illini fell to Michigan in a 7-0 shutout.
The Orange and Blue lead the all-time series against Michigan State, 28-10, and have won eight of their last nine meetings. The teams squared off twice last season with the Illini coming away with victories in both outings. In its final home match of the 2011 season, Illinois defeated the Spartans, 6-1, with the help of current juniors Rachael White and Breanne Smutko and current sophomore Allison Falkin, who each earned singles wins. Illinois followed that up with a 4-0 shutout over MSU in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
The 15th-ranked Wolverines are 12-5 this season and boast a 5-0 mark in conference play. The squad is in the midst of a five-match winning streak and has not lost since falling, 4-3, to then-No. 15 North Carolina on March 18. Last weekend, the Wolverines took down both No. 33 Purdue, 5-2, and No. 41 Indiana, 4-3. The Michigan roster is loaded with talent, including No. 10 Emina Bektas, No. 65 Brooke Bolender, No. 114 Mimi Nguyen, No. 121 Sam Critser and No. 7 pairing Bektas and Bolender.
Michigan State is 8-8 overall and 0-5 in the Big Ten and will face No. 14 Northwestern on Saturday before hosting the Illini on Sunday. The Spartans have lost their last four contests and are coming off two losses last weekend, falling 6-1 to both Indiana and Purdue.
CAMPBELL/ITA NATIONAL RANKINGS
The Illini improved two spots in the latest team rankings (April 3), moving to No. 19 in the nation after jumping 29 spots the week before. The ranking marks Illinois' highest under head coach Michelle Dasso and is the highest for the program since being ranked 17th in 2003. In singles rankings (March 27), freshman Melissa Kopinski made her career-first top-125 appearance, checking in at No. 124. In doubles, junior Rachael White and sophomore Allison Falkin rank 48th, while White and Kopinski rank 59th, marking their first-ever appearance on the list as a duo.
LAST TIME OUT
The Fighting Illini women's tennis team took down two conference opponents in convincing fashion on the road last weekend, defeating Wisconsin, 7-0, and then-No. 32 Minnesota, 6-1 to keep its six-match winning streak alive.
MAKING HISTORY
The six-match winning streak is Illinois' longest since a 6-0 stretch in 2010. This weekend, the squad looks to match its longest winning streak since taking eight straight in 2009.
The 4-3 win at then-No. 9 Texas marked Illinois' first victory over the Longhorns in program history (1-4 all-time) and its first win over a top-10 team since defeating No. 1 Duke on Feb. 23, 2003. The upset also was the Orange and Blue's first win over a top-25 team since downing No. 22 Iowa on April 10, 2010. The 4-3 win over No. 25 Nebraska was Illinois' first-ever victory over the Cornhuskers (1-2 all-time).
UP NEXT
The Orange and Blue will return to Urbana next weekend to host Ohio State on Friday, April 13 at 4 p.m. and Penn State on Sunday, April 15 at 10 a.m. Both matches will take place at Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex.
