URBANA, Ill – The Fighting Illini women's tennis team returns home this weekend to host No. 4 Ohio State and Penn State. Illinois takes on Ohio State on Friday, April 14, at 5 p.m. CT, and then face Penn State on Sunday, April 16, at 11 a.m. CT.

"We are excited to be back home and to welcome a very good No. 4 Ohio State team," said head coach Evan Clark. "It's another wonderful opportunity for our program and I know our team will be ready to go tomorrow."

The Illini enter the weekend coming off a conference road trip during which the team won three of four matches. The Orange and Blue won both of their matches last weekend, defeating Indiana, 6-1, and Purdue, 4-2. Illinois looks to improve upon their 11-10 record. Ohio State enters the weekend with a record of 21-2. Penn State's record sits at 5-12 and they will take on Northwestern before visiting the Illini on Sunday.

"This is nothing new for our team this year," Clark said. "We have battled several top-10 teams so we have a lot of confidence heading into tomorrow's match."

IN THE RANKINGS

Ohio State has six players listed in the ITA Tennis Rankings for singles. Francesca Di Lorenzo is the No. 1 player in the country, followed by Anna Sanford (No. 74), Gabriella De Santis (No. 85), Miho Kowase (No. 88), Sandy Niehaus (No. 89) and Ferny Angeles Paz (No. 117). In doubles, the tandem of Di Lorenzo and Kowase are ranked No. 26, and the pairing of De Santis and Niehaus sit at No. 47 in the ITA Tennis Rankings.

UP NEXT

The Illini will close out the regular season with two matches against Michigan State and Michigan next weekend. Illinois will visit Michigan State for the scheduled match on Friday, April 21, at 3 p.m. CT, and then return home to take on Michigan on Sunday, April 23, at 11 a.m. CT.