University of Illinois
University of Arkansas
Illini Begin 2017 Dual Match Season at ITA Kick-Off
January 27, 2017 | Men's Tennis
The Fighting Illini will open the dual match season on Saturday against No. 25 Arkansas at 10 a.m. CT.
| ITA KICK-OFF WEEKEND: No. 25 ARKANSAS | |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017 | 10 a.m. CST |
| Location | Norman, Okla. | Headington Tennis Center |
| Live Links | Scoring |
| 2017 Information | Match Notes | ITA Kick-Off Information |
FIGHTING ILLINI SET TO BEGIN 2017 DUAL MATCH SEASON
The 2017 Fighting Illini begin the 2017 dual match season at the ITA Kick-Off in Norman, Okla. on Saturday. Four Top-25 teams, No. 16 Oklahoma, No. 17 Illinois, No. 19 Michigan and No. 25 Arkansas, meet in one of the ITA Kick-Off's 15 regionals. Illinois will take on Arkansas at 10 a.m. CT in Norman on Saturday. The result of the Saturday morning matchup will determine Illinois's Sunday opponent.
ILLINOIS FINDS SUCCESS AT MLK INVITATIONAL
The Orange and Blue opened up the 2017 spring season at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Invitational at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex in Atlanta on Jan. 14-16. Illinois competed against players from Columbia, Georgia and Georgia Tech over the three-day weekend. Junior Aron Hiltzik and freshman Aleks Kovacevic each went undefeated in singles play, tallying four of their six wins over ranked opponents.
HILTZIK NAMED BIG TEN TENNIS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Aron Hiltzik was named the Big Ten Tennis Athlete of the Week, the league office announced on Tuesday, Jan. 16. Hiltzik was coming off a strong performance at the MLK Invitational in Atlanta, where he tallied a perfect 3-0 record against three ITA-ranked opponents
2017 OUTLOOK
The Fighting Illini are coming off another successful season in 2016. Illinois finished the year with a 20-11 overall record and an 8-3 record in Big Ten play. The Orange and Blue advanced to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament in 2016 and return six players from that team while welcoming six freshmen to the 2017 roster. Head coach Brad Dancer enters his 12th year at the helm of Illinois men's tennis. Dancer currently ranks 2nd in the Illinois record books with a record of 235-100. Associate head coach Marcos Asse is also back in the Orange and Blue with the addition of former Illini All-American, Ross Guignon, who will serve as the volunteer assistant coach.
KEY RETURNERS
The Illini return six players from the 2015-16 team, including 2016 ITA All-American, Aleks Vukic. Junior Aron Hiltzik, redshirt-senior Julian Childers, sophomore Aiden Jiang, redshirt-senior Alex Jesse and redshirt-sophomore Pablo Landa all return for the 2017 spring slate after being staples in the Illini lineup last season.
ILLINI FRESHMEN
Illinois welcomed six freshmen to the Fighting Illini squad in 2017. Vuk Budic, Zeke Clark, Gui Gomes, Aleks Kovacevic, Noe Khlif and Kris Ortega join the team after highly-successful high school and junior tennis careers. The Illini are looking to see big contributions from the six freshmen.
PRESEASON RANKINGS
Illinois checks in at No. 17 in the Oracle ITA Preseason rankings. The team finished the 2016 season at No. 18 after a second round loss in the NCAA Tournament to Mississippi State. Aron Hiltzik enters the spring season at No. 29 in singles, joined by freshmen Aleks Kovacevic and Gui Gomes at No. 85 and 100, respectively.
ABOUT THE #ITAKICKOFF
There are 15 "regionals" played on both the men's and women's side, with four teams competing in each regional. The winners of the single-elimination event advance to next month's ITA Division I National Team Indoor Championships. Virginia will serve as the men's host and received an automatic invitation to the event. Host sites were determined using the final 2015-16 Oracle/ITA Rankings. A draft was held to fill the No. 2-4 seeds at all locations. Opening round contests at each location pits the No. 1 seed versus the No. 4 seed, and the No. 2 seed against the No. 3 seed. The two winners advance to the following day's championship match, while the two losing teams will square off in a consolation match
