URBANA, Ill. – The Illinois women's tennis team has announced its schedule for the 2015-16 campaign, which will mark a new era for the Fighting Illini. Evan Clark is set to take the reins of the Orange and Blue in the interim and has seven players returning from last season's campaign, as well as a trio of newcomers. Illinois will have its hands full with the season's competitive slate, as 14 of Illinois' 20 dual match opponents were listed in the last season's final rankings.

"We are excited about the opportunities the schedule provides for us this year both in the fall and spring season," shared Clark. "We certainly feel like we have the type of team this year that can navigate it's way through a challenging schedule like ours into the NCAA Tournament and beyond." 

Fall action opens in Puerto Rico for the Illinois crew at the Georgia-hosted Puerto Rico Invitational from September 25-27. A week later, the Illini will divide as some athletes travel to the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships in Pacific Palisades, California, and the rest of the squad will head to the Purdue Invitational in West Lafayette, Indiana. Illinois will close out October at the Midwest ITA Regional from October 22-27, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Returning to Urbana, UI will host the Midwest Blast from October 6-8, to close out play during the fall season.

After just over two months, the Fighting Illini will be back at it with a mid-January visit to Rancho Mirage, California, for the National Collegiate Tennis Classic. A week later, the Orange and Blue will head south to Lubbock, Texas, for the ITA Kick-Off Weekend, playing first against Virginia Tech with the second match's opponent to be determined by play. To close January, UI will visit South Bend, Indiana, for a duel with the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.

February will feature all home contests for the Illini, with a match scheduled for each weekend. First to visit the Atkins Tennis Center will be Kentucky on February 6, followed by South Florida (February 13), DePaul (February 19) and Northwestern (February 26).

Illinois will hit the road again during March, going the entire month without a home contest. First up will be Wisconsin on March 4, followed by William & Mary the next day, both in Madison, Wisconsin. The Illini will resume action in Charleston, South Carolina, on March 23, against the College of Charleston and then head north to visit both Rutgers and Maryland on March 25 and 27, respectively.

The Orange and Blue will return to play in front of home crowds for a handful of matches in April. Fans can see the Illini unit in action at the Atkins Tennis Center against Iowa (April 1), Nebraska (April 3), Indiana (April 8) and Purdue (April 10) to open the month. Clark and company will head east to visit Ohio State and Penn State from April 15-17, before returning to host Michigan State on April 22. Regular season play will conclude at Michigan on April 24.

This season, the Big Ten Tournament will be hosted by Michigan State in East Lansing, Michigan, following two seasons of competition at Northwestern. Tournament action is slated for April 28-May 1.

Visit the online schedule page HERE or download the 2015-16 schedule HERE. Be sure to follow the Fighting Illini women's tennis team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.