University of Illinois
#47 Maryland
Illinois Gears Up for B1G Tournament on Home Courts
April 26, 2017 | Women's Tennis
Illini host No. 5 seed Maryland in quarterfinals
| Big Ten Women's Tennis Championships | |
|---|---|
| Tournament Information | |
| When |
Thursday - 10 a.m. & 2 p.m. Friday - 10 a.m. & 2 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m. & 2 p.m. Sunday - Noon |
| Where |
Atkins Tennis Center // Urbana, Ill. |
| Team Information | Season Stats |
URBANA, Ill. – The Illinois women's tennis team received the No. 4 seed in the 2017 Big Ten Women's Tennis Championship, and will play the No. 5 seed Maryland on Friday at 10 a.m. CT at the Atkins Tennis Facility.
"It takes a lot of pressure off," said head coach Evan Clark. "It makes us more comfortable when we are at home. Everything is so much easier here. We are comfortable on the indoor courts, we are comfortable on the outdoor courts, we are not traveling so we should be a little bit fresher. We are treating it as an advantage."
The Fighting Illini will host the conference tournament for the first time since 2006, and earned a first-round bye as a top-six seed. Maryland has already visited Urbana this year, falling to Illinois, 5-2 on March 26. The Terrapins enter the match with a 16-5 record, while Illinois currently owns a 13-12 mark.
"Maryland is really talented and really offensive," Clark said. "They're a dangerous team. We have got to keep them deep in the court, and play good defense and make the ball come to them. They are a really good team."
The winner of the match will move on to the semifinals on Saturday at 10 a.m., where the victor between top-seeded Ohio State and the winner No. 9 Nebraska and No. 8 Minnesota, will await. The championship match is set for Sunday at noon.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE (all times CT)
Thursday – First Round
Match 1 – 10 a.m.
No. 9 Nebraska vs. No. 8 Minnesota
Match 2 – 2 p.m.
No. 10 Indiana vs. No. 7 Iowa
Friday - Quarterfinals
Match 3 – 10 a.m.
No. 8/9 seed vs. No. 1 Ohio State
Match 4 – 10 a.m.
No. 5 Maryland vs. No. 4 Illinois
Match 5 – 2 p.m.
No. 7/10 seed vs. No. 2 Michigan
Match 6 – 2 p.m.
No. 6 Michigan State vs. No. 3 Northwestern
Saturday - Semifinals
Match 7 – 10 a.m.
Match 3 winner vs. Match 4 winner
Match 8 – 2 p.m.
Match 5 winner vs. Match 6 winner
Sunday - Finals
Match 9 – Noon
Match 7 winner vs. Match 8 winner
