Match 7: Illinois vs. Baylor
URBANA, Ill. - The Fighting Illini women's tennis team looks to cap off an undefeated homestand, as Illinois welcomes Baylor to Atkins Tennis Center on Sunday, February 17. The Illini will then get set for the annual Blue Gray Championships, held in Montgomery, Alabama, Feb. 22-23.
Match Notes
- Illinois is 4-0 all time against Baylor. Sunday's match marks the first meeting between the two teams since March 16, 2003.
- With its wins over Notre Dame, Oregon and Texas A&M at home to begin the season, Illinois has now won eight-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 has kicked off a four-match homestand with wins over Notre Dame (4-3), Oregon (4-3) and Texas A&M (4-3). Illinois was led by sophomore Mia Rabinowitz, who went undefeated in both singles and doubles play.
Fellow-sophomore Sasha Belaya also went 2-1 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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