University of Illinois
Ohio State
@IlliniWTennis Headed for No. 5 Ohio State and Penn State
April 14, 2016 | Women's Tennis
Seven-match winning streak on the line for No. 48 Illinois
URBANA, Ill. – After two weeks of action at home from the Atkins Tennis Center, the 48th-ranked Fighting Illini are hitting the road for a pair of Big Ten matches this weekend. First, on Friday, April 15, the Orange and Blue's seven-match winning streak will be put on the line when they stop by Columbus, Ohio, to take on No. 5 Ohio State. Two days later, Illinois will take on Penn State in a 10 a.m. CT match.
WEEKEND SLATE
No. 5 Ohio State // Columbus, Ohio // Friday, April 15 // 3 p.m. CT
Penn State // University Park, Pa. // Sunday, April 17 // 10 a.m. CT
AGAINST THE OPPONENTS
Illinois owns a 34-14 all-time record over the Ohio State Buckeyes. OSU claimed last season's match 6-1 in Urbana, while the Fighting Illini won the three meetings prior. Ohio State is ranked No. 5 in the most recent Oracle/ITA Tennis poll and owns a record of 21-2 entering the weekend contest. The Buckeyes are 7-0 in league play, sweeping all seven Big Ten teams they've faced so far.
In the all-time series between the Illinois and Penn State squads, UI owns a 22-3 lead. PSU won the decision last season in a 4-3 fashion from University Park, but the Illini won the seven matches prior. Penn State will face Northwestern on Friday before seeing the Orange and Blue in Sunday's action. The Nittany Lions are 8-9 overall entering the weekend, owning a 4-3 record in conference action.
KWONG PICKS UP WEEKLY CONFERENCE HONOR
Illinois Women's Tennis junior Louise Kwong has been named the Big Ten Athlete of the Week after an undefeated weekend of play against Iowa and No. 75 Nebraska. The announcement was made by the league office on Tuesday, April 5. This marks the first weekly honor of the Toronto, Ontario, native's career in the Orange and Blue.
IN THE RANKINGS
Illinois' doubles tandem of Louise Kwong and Ines Vias have owned a spot in the top-50 ranked doubles teams in the nation in all but one poll since February 6. The duo currently ranks 40th. Individually, Kwong comes in at No. 113 in the latest rankings. As a team, Illinois comes in at No. 48 overall for its best ranking of the season.
Three Ohio State tandems own spots in the current doubles rankings. The Buckeyes own spots 7, 39 and T-89. Individually, four Buckeyes are ranked in spots 3, 74, 103 and 107.
ILLINI DOUBLES DOMINANCE
The Fighting Illini enter this weekend's contests with a combined 35-9 record on the doubles courts. UI owns a 14-2 record at No. 1, an 9-4 mark at No. 2 and a 12-3 overall record at No. 3. Over the course of the season, Kwong and Vias have tallied a 21-6 record as a team including a perfect 7-0 mark in Big Ten play. The Illini have clinched the doubles point in 16 of their 18 matches so far this season.
FOLLOW THE ILLINI
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