Match 17 and 18: Illinois at Rutgers, vs. Maryland   

The No. 11 Fighting Illini women's tennis team will complete its three-match road swing on Friday afternoon as the team takes on Rutgers in Piscataway, New Jersey, at 11:30 am CT. The Illini then return home for Sunday contest against the Maryland Terrapins at 11 am from the Atkins Tennis Center.

Match Facts  

• Illinois boasts an unblemished 4-0 record against the Scarlet Knights.
• The Orange and Blue are 6-1 all-time against Maryland. The lone loss for the Illini in the program series was on March 26, 1997. 

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: 

• Best start in program history at 14-2. Previous best start was in 1982 (13-3)
• 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 six-straight doubles matches and have compiled a team-leading 13-2 record in dual match doubles play, including a 5-0 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 each riding 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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