CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The No. 16-ranked Fighting Illini hit the road once again, traveling to the Lone Star State for a doubleheader against UTRGV and No. 17 Baylor on Saturday in Waco, Texas. Illinois will take on the Vaqueros in a neutral-site matchup in the first match of the day at 10 a.m. CT before battling with the Bears at 6 p.m. CT at Hurd Tennis Center.
Currently on a four-match winning streak, the Orange and Blue enter the weekend with a 5-2 record and will play their fourth ranked opponent of the season on Saturday night. The Illini are 1-2 against ranked teams thus far this spring
LAST TIME OUT
No. 20 Illinois recorded its first ranked win of the spring with a 5-2 victory over No. 12 Michigan at Atkins Tennis Center on Feb. 22.
Despite dropping the first set on five singles courts, the Illini fought back to win four singles matches while claiming the doubles point for the second time this season.
Illinois secured the doubles point behind wins at No. 2 and 3. Mathis Debru and Max Mroz, teaming up for the first time this spring, were the first to finish and earned a 6-2 victory at No. 3 doubles. Kenta Miyoshi and William Mroz were not far behind at No. 2 doubles, posting a 6-4 win to take the doubles point for the Illini.
Miyoshi recorded the team's first singles win of the night with a 7-6(4), 6-3 triumph at No. 1 against No. 55 Benjamin Kittay, marking the Illini junior's third ranked win of the dual season.
Zach Viiala was the next to finish with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory at No. 6 singles, and Debru ultimately clinched the Orange and Blue's win with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory on Court 5. With the sides agreeing to play out the match, Will Mroz closed the night with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 triumph at No. 2 singles and completed the 5-2 ranked win.
ABOUT UTRGV, NO. 17 BAYLOR
The Vaqueros hold a 2-8 record thus far this spring, with the two victories coming in a 4-3 win against Lubbock Christian on Feb. 1 and a 6-1 home triumph over Prairie View A&M on Feb. 9. UTRGV is on a two-match losing streak, most recently falling away from home to SMU on Feb. 22.
As a team, UTRGV is 6-39 in singles play this season, while the Vaqueros are 8-14 in doubles action. Sophomore Santiago Serrano is the lone student-athlete with multiple singles wins during the spring slate.
No. 17 Baylor is 8-6 overall and 5-5 on its home courts during the 2025 campaign. The Bears have already faced some of the top teams in the nation this spring after hosting the ITA National Team Indoor Championships, with seven of Baylor's first 14 matches coming against top-10 opponents.
The Bears are looking for their second ranked win of the season after they defeated No. 7 Duke, 4-2, on Feb. 15. Baylor has registered a 1-2 record against Big Ten teams this spring, including a 4-2 win over Nebraska and two 4-1 losses to Ohio State.
Saturday's hosts feature two ranked singles players and four different ranked doubles tandems. No. 35 Devin Badenhorst (6-6) and No. 86 Oskar Brostrom Poulsen (6-3) are the team's two singles players and typically play at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, respectively. Brostrom Poulsen and Marko Miladinovic are the Bears' highest-ranked doubles duo, checking in at No. 12 in the most recent ITA rankings.Â
Baylor has a combined record of 41-26 in singles play and 20-16 in doubles action this spring.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday morning's match between the Illini and the Vaqueros marks the first-ever meeting between the sides.
Baylor holds a narrow 9-8 edge over Illinois in the all-time series, which dates back to the teams' first matchup in 1988. The Illini will face off with the Bears for the seventh straight season, with the Orange and Blue having won the last two contests between the sides.Â
Illinois, which defeated Baylor by a 5-2 scoreline at Atkins Tennis Center last season, is looking to win three consecutive matches against the Bears for the first time in program history.
PLAYERS/TEAMS IN THE ITA RANKINGS
Team
- No. 16: Illinois
- No. 17: Baylor
Singles
Doubles
- No. 12: Marko Miladinovic/Oskar Brostrom Poulsen (Baylor)
- No. 31: Zsombor Velcz/Devin Badenhorst (Baylor)
- No. 43: Zsombor Velcz/Oskar Brostrom Poulsen (Baylor)
- No. 80: Luc Koenig/Imran Daniel Hazli (Baylor)
