Women's Tennis Opens B1G Play at Home as Maryland, Rutgers Visit

CHAMPAIGN, Ill.  – Illinois is set to open its Big Ten slate this Friday and Sunday with home matches against Maryland and Rutgers. The Fighting Illini and Terrapins will square off from the Atkins Tennis Center at 3 p.m. on Friday before Illinois faces the Scarlet Knights at 12 p.m. on Sunday.

The Orange and Blue closed the regular-season non-conference slate with an 8-5 record, including a 5-1 mark in matches at home.

Following Sunday's match at Atkins Tennis Center, the Illinois women's tennis team will host a free kids clinic on the courts.

LAST TIME OUT

Following a weekend off, Illinois is back in action for the first time since hosting future Big Ten foe Washington on March 1. The Huskies earned the 4-1 win after Illinois won the doubles point.

On the top doubles court, Megan Heuser and Alice Xu battled with No. 34 Olsen/Jacobs. Action stayed even out to a 3-3 tie before the Illini duo broke on two of the last three games for the 6-3 upset of the Washington tandem.

ILLINI VS. THE FIELD

Illinois is 10-1 all-time against Maryland, including an 8-0 record with Evan Clark at the helm. UI has won the last 10 meetings against the Terps.

The Illini own an 8-0 lead in the all-time series against Rutgers. Six of those wins have come under Clark.

ILLINI NOTES 

• After receiving votes in the final two top-25 polls, Illinois moved up to No. 24 in the first computerized rankings of the season. The ranking was the best by the Illini since the 2019 campaign.
• On Feb. 21, Kasia Treiber was tabbed the Big Ten Women's Tennis Player of the Week - the first honor of her career. Treiber posted a 2-0 weekend at No. 3 singles in the Fighting Illini's wins over Brown and Marshall at Atkins Tennis Center. Both were straight-set victories.
• Illinois is off to a 5-1 start when playing at the Atkins Tennis Center this season. 
• After an 8-1 start when working together in doubles play, Megan Heuser and Alice Xu made their first appearance in the ITA rankings at No. 35 on March 5.
• Head coach Evan Clark is in his ninth year as the head coach of Illinois women's tennis, holds an overall dual record of 122-80 (.604), and is 58-28 (.674) in Big Ten play during his time as an Illini. Including his time as the head coach at UNC-Wilmington, Clark owns a 153-91 record overall.
• The Illini are coming off an 18-10 season with an 8-3 Big Ten record in 2022-23. The Illini's 18 wins tied the sixth-most in a single season in program history. UI earned its 14th appearance to the NCAA Team Tournament in program history. The last time Illinois made the NCAA Tournament as a team was the 2019 campaign. The 2023 appearance marked the third with Clark at the helm.
• Illinois returns six of its eight players from last season, including fifth-year senior Josie Frazier and senior Kate Duong. Additionally, Megan Heuser, Kasia Treiber, and Kida Ferrari return for their junior campaigns, and Violeta Martinez begins her sophomore dual season. The Illini welcomed South Carolina transfer, but Illinois native, McKenna Schaefbauer along with freshmen Rosie Seccia and Alice Xu.

DOUBLES POINTS

Jan. 14 vs. EIU - 2: Ferrari/Martinez, 3: Treiber/Xu
Jan. 20 vs. No. 15 Duke - 2: Duong/Frazier, 3: Ferrari/Martinez
Feb. 11 vs. Ole Miss - 2: Heuser/Xu, 3: Martinez/Treiber
Feb. 18 vs. Marshall - 1: Heuser/Xu, 2: Schaefbauer/Martinez
Feb. 23 vs. Tulsa - 1: Heuser/Xu, 2: Schaefbauer/Martinez
Feb. 23 vs. Wake Forest - 1: Heuser/Xu, 3: Frazier/Ferrari
Mar. 1 vs. Washington - 1: Heuser/Xu, 2: Schaefbauer/Martinez

CLINCHES

Jan. 14 vs. Missouri - Violeta Martinez (No. 4 singles)
Jan. 14 vs. EIU - Violeta Martinez (No. 2 singles)
Jan. 19 vs. Charlotte - Megan Heuser (No. 1 singles)
Jan. 28 vs. No. 23 UCF - Kasia Treiber (No. 3 singles)
Feb. 11 vs. Ole Miss - Kasia Treiber (No. 3 singles)
Feb. 17 vs. Brown - Josie Frazier (No. 5 singles)
Feb. 18 vs. Marshall - Kasia Treiber (No. 3 singles)
Feb. 23 vs. Tulsa - Josie Frazier (No. 5 singles)

RANKING NOTES

Team (1-75)

• 46 – Illinois (8-5)
• 49 - Maryland (9-4)
• 75 - Rutgers (8-3)

Doubles (1-60)

• No. 35 Megan Heuser/Alice Xu (Illinois)
• No. 58 Amira Badawi/Mai Nguyen (Rutgers)
• No. 64 Selma Cadar/Mary Brumfield (Maryland)

Singles (1-125)

• No. 77 Selma Cadar (Maryland)

Next Up

Next weekend, Illinois will hit the road for the first time since February, as the Orange and Blue head to Iowa (March 22) and Nebraska (March 24).