Results

URBANA, Ill. - On a cold and snowy day in Champaign-Urbana, the Fighting Illini were red hot inside the Atkins Tennis Center. Despite dropping their previous two matches against ranked opponents, head coach Michelle Dasso felt that the experienced gained from those losses helped the team take down the ranked Hoosiers 6-1 today in the Big Ten opener.

"It's super exciting. It's nice to start off 1-0 in the Big Ten conference. Every team is tough, but it's huge snagging our first top-25 win. My assistant [Evan Clark] and I had a lot of confidence in our team in the other top twenty-five teams we've played this season, versus Kentucky and Notre Dame. Those didn't go our way, but the girls kept their heads down and kept working hard and with persistence we knew it was going to happen."

Both the Hoosiers and the Illini had to adjust back to the eight-game pro set for doubles as conference play started. Coach Dasso felt the team adjusted efficiently, "We've been playing this ITA-shortened format all year, playing no-ad scoring and I feel like it forces you to clean up your game a little bit. I felt we played well under pressure and under those big points."

To start, Alexis Casati and Madie Baillon took control of their doubles set, winning three consecutive games to take the set 8-4. The Hoosiers responded by winning the set on court three, which set up a decisive set on court one.

Melissa Kopinski and Louise Kwong trailed 7-5 on court one before storming back to force a tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, Kopinski led the charge as the duo strung together six straight points to win the tiebreaker 7-3 and give the Fighting Illini the doubles point.

"Melissa had two huge first serves for us today and that was a huge momentum builder for us to get that doubles point, to fight back and I think that got the crowd involved, playing at home," said coach Dasso.

Kopinski also felt the importance of the doubles point, "we knew that coming into this match that getting the doubles point was going to be huge and would help us with the singles.

In singles, the Illini continued to put the pressure on Indiana as they took five of the six opening sets. The Illini notched their first singles point when Baillon won in straight sets 6-3, 6-2. Kopinski carried her strong finish from doubles over to court two for her singles match as she defeated Alecia Kauss in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4.

"I knew my opponent well and knew what was coming, so getting that first set was huge," said Kopinski. "I looked over and everyone else had momentum and I thought `close it out.'"

After Indiana picked up a point on court four with Jade Hilton falling in straight sets 6-4, 6-2, Jerricka Boone sealed the win over the ranked Hoosiers by winning in straight sets over Carolyn Chupa 7-5, 6-4.

Kwong and Casati tacked on abbreviated third set singles points for the Illini, as Kwong won on court three 6-3, 5-7, 2-0 and Casati beat Indiana's number one, Katie Klyczzek 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (11-9).

"We're excited about that top twenty-five win, but it's back to work. You have to show consistency and really every team in the Big Ten is tough," said Dasso.

The Fighting Illini will travel to face Penn State in State College on Friday, March 6, at 3 p.m. before returning home on Sunday, March 8, to host Ohio State at Noon at Atkins Tennis Center.