URBANA, Ill. – The Illinois women's tennis team take a trip west for two matches this weekend. On Friday, Feb. 21 the Illini will compete against Oregon in Eugene, Ore., at 4 p.m. CT before heading up north to Seattle, Wash., for a match up with No. 20 Washington on Sunday, Feb. 23 at 1:30 p.m. CT.

LAST TIME OUT

The Illini enter the weekend with a 3-6 record after last weekend's matches against Texas A&M and Baylor. Texas A&M and Baylor both defeated Illinois, 4-1.  

During last Friday's competition with then ranked No. 20 Texas A&M, the Aggies notched the doubles point. The then ranked No. 43 duo of Jayci Goldsmith and Tatiana Makarova of Texas A&M clinched the point after downing junior Emilee Duong and freshman Josie Frazier, 6-2 at No. 1 doubles. In singles action, junior Asuka Kawai came away with the lone point for the Illini at No. 1 singles with a 6-3, 6-0 win over her Aggies opponent, Katya Townsend.

On Sunday, Illinois doubles pair, Duong and Frazier, were downed 6-1 at No. 1, before Kawai and junior Mia Rabinowitz battled past their Bears' opponents, 6-2 at No. 3. Unfortunately, at No. 2, Baylor was able to steal the point downing junior Sasha Belaya and freshman Emily Casati. Rabinowitz grabbed the only singles point for the Orange and Blue on the day after defeating a ranked opponent for the second time this season at No. 2 singles.

SCOUTING OREGON

The Ducks are 5-3 heading into Friday's match up with Illinois. Oregon opened its season with a pair of wins over UC Davis (6-1) and Portland State (6-1) on Jan. 24 and Jan. 25, respectively. The Ducks then went on to defeat opponents UC Riverside (6-1), Idaho (5-2) and Maryland (6-1). Oregon has fallen to Loyola Marymount, 6-1, Long Beach State, 5-2, and CSUN, 4-3.

Illinois and Oregon are knotted up 1-1 in the all-time series record. The Orange and Blue defeated the Ducks, 4-3, in the two programs' meeting last year on Feb. 10.

SCOUTING WASHINGTON

The Huskies enter Sunday afternoon's match with an 8-3 overall record.  Washington opened its spring slate with three 7-0 wins over Portland State, Eastern Washington and Seattle. The Huskies have then gone on to defeat Hawaii (5-1), Kentucky (4-3), Portland (7-0), Purdue (6-1) and Kansas State (4-1). Washington has dropped matches to Florida State (4-3), Princeton (4-3) and Kansas (5-2).  

The Illini are led 1-8 by the Huskies in the all-time series. The two team's last met on Feb. 18, 2018, where Illinois downed No. 22 ranked Washington, 4-3.

RABINOWITZ COLLECTS WOMEN'S TENNIS BIG TEN WEEKLY HONOR

Rabinowitz was named Women's Tennis Big Ten Athlete of the Week on Tuesday, Feb. 18. The Tenafly, N.J., native, tabbed the honor for her combined 2-1 doubles and singles performance last weekend. The junior also earned her second victory this season over a ranked opponent. The honor marks a second for Rabinowitz's career.

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