University of Illinois
Texas A&M
Illinois Welcomes Texas A&M for Valentine's Night
February 12, 2019 | Women's Tennis
Match 6: Illinois vs. Texas A&M
| Date | Thursday, February 14 - 5 p.m. CT |
| Location | Atkins Tennis Center |
| Live Links | Live Stats & Video |
| 2019 Information | Season Stats | Match Notes | Record Book |
URBANA, Ill. - After two wins at home a week ago, the Fighting Illini women's tennis team will look for more success at Atkins, as the Illini welcome Texas A&M for Valentine's Night on Thursday, February 14. Illinois will then conclude its four-match homestand against Baylor on Sunday, Feb. 17.
Match Notes
- The Illini and Texas A&M have met just once in program history, with Illinois winning 4-2 on Jan. 31, 2010.
- With its wins over both Notre Dame and Oregon at home a week ago, Illinois has now won seven-straight matches at Atkins Tennis Center. The Illini's last loss at Atkins came on March 2, 2018, against Northwestern (4-3).
Home Sweet Home
The Fighting Illini women's tennis team kicked off a four-match homestand last week with wins over both Notre Dame (4-3) and Oregon (4-3). Illinois was led by sophomore Mia Rabinowitz, who went undefeated in both singles and doubles play.
Fellow-sophomore Sasha Belaya also went 2-0 in singles play, highlighted by a 6-0, 6-0 sweep over Oregon's Taryn Fujimori.
Tough Early Stretch
The Illini have competed against three teams ranked in the top 20 in the country during the first few weeks of the season.
Duke checks in at No. 4 in the most recent ITA rankings, followed by Kansas at No. 11 and Virginia and No. 19.
Illinois Ranked No. 21 in ITA Preseason Rankings
The Illinois women's tennis team was ranked No. 21 in the first edition of the Oracle ITA Collegiate Tennis team rankings for the 2018-19 season, the organization announced in early January. The Illini then moved up to No. 18 prior to ITA Kick-Off Weekend.
The Orange and Blue are not ranked in the most recent rankings (Jan. 30).
Dalmagro Joins Clark's Staff
Head women's tennis coach, Evan Clark, announced the addition of Associate Head Coach German Dalmagro (pronounced Her-mahn Dal-mahg-ro) to his staff on July 31, 2018. Dalmagro joins the Orange and Blue after spending the last five years in the same position at Nebraska.
During his time in Lincoln, Dalmagro helped the Cornhuskers earn a top-60 national rankings in each of his five seasons, including as high as No. 21 this past season. The Cornhuskers also excelled academically during Dalmagro's tenure, as the team finished with the top GPA amongst all Nebraska sports in both 2014 and 2018.
Clark Signs 5-year Contract Extension
The University of Illinois and head women's tennis coach Evan Clark agreed to a five-year contract extension this past August, announced Director of Athletics Josh Whitman.
Under Clark, Illinois has emerged as one of the premier programs in the Big Ten, having finished third, fourth and tied for fourth in the conference in the last three years, respectively. Last season was one for the record books for the Illini, as the team tied for the most wins in a single season in program history (22) and earned its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2012.
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