CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Fighting Illini women's tennis team returns to conference play this weekend, hosting two Big Ten matches at the Atkins Tennis Center. Illinois welcomes Iowa on Friday evening at 5 p.m. CT, followed by a Sunday contest against Nebraska at 12 p.m. CT.
Illinois currently holds a 6-7 overall record this season, including a 5-5 mark at home. No. 49-ranked Iowa enters the weekend with a 7-4 record including a 1-1 mark in Big Ten play. No. 58-ranked Nebraska will open the weekend at Northwestern before heading to Urbana. The Huskers enter weekend action with a 10-3 overall record and 0-2 reading in league play.
Friday's meeting against Iowa will mark the 63rd all-time between the programs. Illinois leads the series, 34-28. Illinois and Nebraska will then face off for the 16th time in program history on Sunday, with the Fighting Illini holding a narrow 8-7 lead in the all-time series.
Ranking Notes
Team –
- No. 46 - Illinois
- No. 49 - Iowa
- No. 58 - Nebraska
Doubles –
Singles –
DOUBLES POINTS
Jan. 18 at Notre Dame – 2: Schaefbauer/Treiber, 3: Xu/Madatali
Jan. 25 vs. Northwestern – 1: Heuser/Ferrari, 3: Martinez/Xu
Feb. 2 vs. Colorado – 1: Heuser/Ferrari, 2: Schaefbauer/Treiber
Feb. 14 vs. Iowa State - 2: Martinez/Xu, 3: Schaefbauer/Treiber
March 1 vs. Western Michigan - 1: Heuser/Ferrari, 2: Martinez/Xu
March 1 vs. Chicago State - 2: Schaefbauer/Treiber, 3: Madatali/Seccia
March 7 at Minnesota - 1: Heuser/Ferrari, 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)
March 2 vs. Western Michigan - No. 3 singles, Violeta Martinez (7-5, 6-7(2), 1-0 (10-3)
March 2 vs. Chicago State - No. 4 singles, Ariel Madatali (6-0, 6-0)
March 7 at Minnesota - No. 2 singles, Megan Heuser (6-4, 6-1)
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 138-94 (.596), and is 67-32 (.684) in Big Ten play during his time as an Illini. Including his time as the head coach at UNC-Wilmington, Clark owns a 169-105 record overall.
- Evan Clark is currently tied at the program's all-time winningest head coach at 138 victories in the midst of his 10th season at the helm. He is tied with Jennifer Roberts, who coached at Illinois for 11 seasons from 1988-98. Clark also owns 67 wins in Big Ten play, one shy of tying Roberts' Illinois record at 68.
- Illinois owns a 77-29 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 and most recently visited No. 17 Wisconsin for its fifth Top-25 match of the season.
- After the Jan. 25, 2025Â 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.
- Fighting Illini freshman Ariel Madatali leads the team with 14 wins on the singles courts following her wins at Minnesota and Wisconsin to open Big Ten play.
- 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.
- 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.
