CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Fighting Illini have a packed Saturday ahead, hosting a doubleheader against Western Michigan (7-4) and Chicago State (0-1). Action is slated for 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. CT, respectively. Illinois currently holds a 3-6 record this season, including a 3-5 mark at home following the 2025 ITA Team Indoor Championships held at Atkins Tennis Center.
Saturday's meeting against Western Michigan will mark the 19th all-time between the programs. Illinois leads the series, 10-8, with the most recent meeting occurring during the 2011 campaign. Saturday afternoon, Illinois and Chicago State will face off for the fourth all-time meeting as the Illini lead the series, 3-0.
Saturday's matches against Western Michigan and Chicago State are the first of the season against non-Power 4 opponents.
Ranking Notes
Team –
Doubles –
Singles –
DOUBLES POINTS
Jan. 18 at Notre Dame – 2: Schaefbauer/Treiber, 3: Xu/Madatali
Jan. 25 vs. Northwestern – 1: Ferrari/Heuser, 3: Martinez/Xu
Feb. 2 vs. Colorado – 1: Heuser/Ferrari, 2: Schaefbauer/Treiber
Feb. 14 vs. Iowa State - 2: Martinez/Xu, 3: Schaefbauer/Treiber
CLINCHES
Jan. 25 vs. Northwestern – No. 4 singles, Ariel Madatali (2-6, 6-2, 6-2)
Feb. 2 vs. Colorado – No. 2 singles, Megan Heuser (6-7(7), 6-1, 6-3)
Feb. 14 vs. Iowa State - No. 1 singles, McKenna Schaefbauer (6-2, 6-2)
ILLINI NOTES
- Head coach Evan Clark is in his 10th year as the head coach of Illinois women's tennis, holds an overall dual record of 135-93 (.592), and is 66-31 (.684) in Big Ten play during his time as an Illini. Including his time as the head coach at UNC-Wilmington, Clark owns a 166-104 record overall.
- Illinois owns a 75-29 record when playing at home under Evan Clark (begins 2016 dual season).
- While hosting the 2025 ITA Team Indoor Championships, Illinois faced the nation's best, competing against No. 2 Texas A&M, No. 3 Oklahoma State, and No. 6 UCLA. The following weekend, Illinois welcomed No. 22 Baylor to the Atkins Tennis Center.
- After the Jan. 25, 2025, out-of-conference victory over Northwestern, Illinois has now won five consecutive matches over the Wildcats. The squads will meet again for a Big Ten match on April 12 in Evanston.
- Violeta Martinez earned ranked wins on both the doubles and singles courts in Illinois' loss to No. 6 UCLA. On the doubles courts, Martinez and Alice Xu teamed up to take down UCLA's No. 30 ranked duo. Martinez would get the Fighting Illini on the board with a straight-set upset (6-4, 6-4) of UCLA's No. 53 Elisa Wagle.
- McKenna Schaefbauer earned her first clinch of the season in Illinois' 4-0 sweep of Iowa State, taking down No. 70 Anna Kuearum, 6-2, 6-2.
- Ariel Madatali's first-career clinch was also the first dual win of her career, which came in Illinois' 4-2 win over Northwestern.
- Megan Heuser registered her first clinch of the season against Colorado on Feb. 2 with her three-set win at No. 2 singles.
- During the preseason, junior McKenna Schaefbauer was selected to the Big Ten Women's Tennis Players to Watch List. Schaefbauer is coming off of a successful sophomore campaign that featured a 17-10 overall singles record and 18-16 overall on the doubles courts. The transfer appeared at all six singles slots and all three doubles courts for the Illini in 2024.
- The Illini are coming off a 17-10 season with an 8-3 Big Ten record in 2023-24. The Illini's 17 wins were the third-most under Coach Clark and tied for the 10th-most in a season in program history. Three of those top-10 marks have come under Clark. UI earned its 15th appearance to the NCAA Team Tournament in program history.
- Illinois has made the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons for the second time under Clark and seventh time in program history. Last season's appearance marked the fourth with Clark at the helm.
