Match 4 and 5: Illinois vs. Notre Dame & Oregon
URBANA, Ill. - After three tough matches away from home, the Illini women's tennis team will welcome both Notre Dame and Oregon to Atkins Tennis Center this weekend. Illinois takes on the Fighting Irish on Friday, Feb. 8, at 2 p.m., and will wrap up the weekend with a a matchup with Oregon on Sunday at 11 a.m.
Match Notes
- The Illini will look for their first win over Notre Dame since March 4, 2004. The Irish hold a 29-8 record in the all-time series.
- UI and Oregon have faced off only once in program history. The Ducks defeated Illinois, 4-3, on Jan. 25, 2003.
- Illinois begins a four-match homestand on Friday and Sunday against Notre Dame and Oregon, respectively. The Illini will also play host to both Texas A&M (2/14) and Baylor (2/17) before heading back out on the road.
Tough Early Stretch
The Illini have competed against three teams ranked in the top 20 in the country during the first two weeks of the season. Duke checks in at No. 4 in the most recent ITA rankings, followed by No. 11 Kansas and No. 19 Virginia.
First Serve: Illinois at ITA Kick Off
Illinois competed in the annual ITA Kick-Off event, held in Stillwater, Okla., and came up short to both No. 16 Kansas, 4-1, and No. 21 Virginia, 4-3.
Illinois got off to a strong start against UVA, claiming the doubles point and going up 3-0 on the Cavaliers with singles victories by Mia Rabinowitz and Sasha Belaya on courts five and six, respectively. The Orange and Blue couldn't close out the match, however, as Virginia rattled off wins on the remaining four courts to take the narrow 4-3 win over the Illini.
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.
Promotions
It's a Friday Doubleheader at Atkins Tennis Center! Doubles play for the Illini women's tennis team begins at 2 p.m. with the Illini men's tennis team following at 6 pm. Free Portillo's for all fans, while supplies last. Fans at the women's tennis match will receive an "INI" sock, while fans who attend the men's match can complete the pair with an "ILL" sock. All fans who complete the ILL-INI socks will be entered in a raffle for a chance to win a signed Illinois Tennis racket, Illini gear and the grand prize of a Nintendo Switch gaming console.
The Fighting Illini women's tennis team welcomes Oregon to Atkins Tennis Center on Sunday, Feb. 10, at 11 a.m. There will be breakfast provided for fans in attendance and a youth clinic will also be included following the completion of the match. To register for the youth clinic, click here.
Follow the Illini
Stay tuned to FIGHTINGILLINI.com for all the latest information on Fighting Illini Women's Tennis. Use @IlliniWTennis to follow the Orange and Blue on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for complete coverage.
