CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - No. 31-ranked Illinois women's tennis (17-6) is set to host No. 68 Nebraska (14-8) and No. 53 Iowa (11-8) this weekend at the Atkins Tennis Center. Nebraska up first on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT, then Iowa visits on Sunday for a 12 p.m. tilt.
For the weekend matches to be played outside, two factors must be met. First, the temperature needs to be 50 degrees or warmer and secondly, sustained winds must be 20 MPH or less. If the matches end up inside, Saturday's Bark in the Park promotion will be canceled as dogs are not allowed inside Atkins Tennis Center. Fans are encouraged to check the team's social media accounts on match day to see where action will take place.
Sunday's dual against the Hawkeyes will double as Senior Day for the Illini. Illinois women's tennis seniors Ashley Yeah and Emily Casati will be recognized ahead of the match.
Nebraska and Iowa mark the 10th and 11th matches against a ranked team this season, with the Illini sitting at 5-4 in those outings entering the weekend.
The Orange and Blue sit at 8-1 in Big Ten play heading into the final matches of the regular season. Illinois is currently tied for second in the league standings and can't fall past third place regardless of weekend results. The most recent third place finish in the regular season standings by the Illini came in the spring of 2018 when UI finished 9-3 in B1G play.
The 2023 Illini squad has the chance to become just the second team in program history to win double-digit regular season conference matches. With two weekend wins, they'd join the 1992-93 squad that produced an 11-2 record to finish second in the standings.
Six individuals own 11 or more wins in singles play this season, including Ashley Yeah (16-10), Kasia Treiber (15-11), Megan Heuser (14-9), Josie Frazier (13-10), Kida Ferrari (12-7) and Kate Duong (11-11). Additionally, Violeta Martinez has won five-straight singles decisions.
On the doubles courts, Heuser and Duong are up to a 24-4 overall record on the season, which includes a 16-2 mark in dual play.Â
Last Time Out
Last weekend, Illinois continued its dominant play in the Big Ten, picking up a 4-3 upset win at No. 21 Wisconsin. The Illini also received a 7-0 victory from Minnesota's forfeit.
Illini vs. The Field
Illinois is 7-6 against Nebraska all-time. The most recent meeting resulted in a 4-3 Illinois win on April 3, 2022, in Lincoln.
Illinois owns a 33-26 all-time record against Iowa. The most recent meeting came in last year's Big Ten Tournament, where the Illini beat the No. 12-seeded Hawkeyes, 4-3, in Iowa City.
Illini Notes
Head coach Evan Clark is in his eighth year as the head coach of Illinois women's tennis and holds an overall dual record of 114-73 (.610) and is 58-26 (.690) in Big Ten play during his time as an Illini.
The Illini are coming off a 16-9 season with an 8-3 Big Ten record in 2021-22.
Illinois returns seven of its eight players from last season, including seniors Emily Casati, Josie Frazier, and Ashley Yeah; junior Kate Duong; and sophomores Kida Ferrari, Megan Heuser, and Kasia Treiber. The Illini also welcomed freshman Violeta Martinez to the squad.Â
Ranking Notes
Singles
Doubles
Up NextÂ
Illinois will head out to West Lafayette for the Big Ten Tournament, which is slated to run from April 26-30.
