University of Illinois
Hawaii
No. 7 Illinois Heads West for Matches at Hawaii, UC-Santa Barbara
March 20, 2018 | Women's Tennis
Match 15 and 16: Illinois at Hawaii and UCSB
| Date | Wednesday at Hawaii - 7:30 pm | Saturday at UCSB - 2 pm |
| Location | Honolulu, Hawaii | Santa Barbara, California |
| Live Links | No Scoring Available |
| 2018 Information | Match Notes | Record Book |
The No. 7 Fighting Illini women's tennis team will play its first true road match since January 27 as the team travels west for a pair of nonconference opponents. The Illini first take on Hawaii in Honolulu on Wednesday night at 7:30 pm CT. UI will then return to the mainland for a Saturday afternoon matchup against the UCSB Gauchos. First serve for Saturday's match is set for 2 pm CT.
Match Facts
- The Illini travel to Hawaii for the first since March 28, 2005 when Illinois defeated Hawaii, 5-2, which is also UI's last win in the program series.
- UI's last win against UCSB was on March 18, 1999, when the Illini topped the Gauchos, 6-1.
- The Orange and Blue travel to the west coast for matches against Hawaii and UCSB for the first time since the 2015 season. Both matches were played in Santa Barbara, California.
A Season of Milestones
The 2018 Fighting Illini women's tennis team is only at the midpoint of the dual match season, but the Illini have already accomplished a long list of accolades throughout 2018:
- Highest ranking in Illinois women's tennis history (No. 5)
- Three wins against Top-25 opponents in a single season for the first time in program history
- Hosted first women's Top-15 matchup at Atkins Tennis Center
- Off to the program's best start since 1982
- Mia Rabinowitz became the first Illini freshman to win a B1G weekly honor since 2004
- With Illinois' February 2 win over then No. 11-Texas, Illinois earned its first win over a Top-20 opponent since 2012
Belaya, Pedraza-Novak Rolling
Freshman Sasha Belaya and junior Daniela Pedraza-Novak remain ranked in this week's Oracle/ITA doubles rankings at No. 60. The duo have won four-straight doubles matches and have compiled a team-leading 11-2 record in dual match doubles play, including a 3-0 record at the No. 1 position. Belaya and Pedraza-Novak won their first match against an ITA-ranked opponent on February 24 against Northwestern's Chatt and Or, who were ranked No. 13 in the nation. In singles play, Belaya and Pedraza-Novak are currently riding three-match and four-match winning streaks, respectively.
Illinois Reaches Program's Highest Oracle/ITA Ranking
Just two weeks after being ranked in the Oracle/ITA Top-25 for the first time since 2013, the No. 5-ranked Orange and Blue reached the highest team ranking in program history on February 20. Illinois was coming off a 2-0 weekend at the Atkins Tennis Center, where Illinois topped Iowa and a ranked Washington team. After two weeks ranked in the Top-5, Illinois won another Top-10 matchup against No. 10 Wake Forest at the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic on February 24.
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