URBANA, Ill. – Fighting Illini women's tennis head coach Evan Clark became the program's all-time winningest head coach on Sunday when No. 46 Illinois defeated No. 58 Nebraska, 4-0. In his 10th season at the helm of the program, Clark now owns a 139-95 record at Illinois.
No. 46 Illinois improves to 7-8 on the season and 2-2 in Big Ten play. Illinois moved to 6-6 in action from the Atkins Tennis Center with Sunday's win. Nebraska is now 10-5 on the season and 0-4 in league play.
The Fighting Illini claimed their ninth doubles point of the season and third in Big Ten play.
Alice Xu and Violeta Martinez were the first off the doubles courts, following their 6-2 victory at No. 2. The duo is now 7-3 when playing together this season. Megan Heuser and Kida Ferrari followed with a 6-2 win of their own at No. 1 doubles. An ace by Heuser gave the Illini tandem a 5-0 advantage before the Nebraska duo got on the board.
On the singles courts, Ferrari pushed the Illinois lead to 2-0 with a 6-3, 6-3 victory at No. 5. She never trailed in either set while picking up her first Big Ten singles win of the season.
Kasia Treiber was the next Illini off the courts, earning a 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 6 singles. Treiber is up to 2-1 in Big Ten matches.
Over at No. 2 singles, Heuser earned a 6-4 first set win before battling back from trailing 2-4 in set two. The senior's four-straight games resulted in the 6-4, 6-4 straight set victory. Heuser is up to three clinches this season and improved to 9-9 on the campaign and 2-1 in league play.
Illinois won all six first sets of singles play and claimed nine of the 10 completed singles frames.
FINAL SCORE: NO. 46 ILLINOIS (7-8; 2-2 B1G) 4, NO. 58 NEBRASKA (10-5, 0-4 B1G) 0
Doubles
No. 1 – Megan Heuser/Kida Ferrari def. Zamburek/Loy (NEB) - 6-2
No. 2 – Alice Xu/Violeta Martinez def. Rizzetto/Coe (NEB) - 6-2
No. 3 – McKenna Schaefbauer/Kasia Treiber vs. Taranova/Trignosso (NEB) - 4-5, unfinished
Singles
No. 1 – McKenna Schaefbauer vs. Ana Zamburek (NEB) - 7-5, 3-4, unfinished
No. 2 – Megan Heuser def. Emma Rizzetto (NEB) - 6-4, 6-4
No. 3 – No. 114 Violeta Martinez vs. Maria Taranova (NEB) - 6-3, 1-6, 0-0 unfinished
No. 4 – Ariel Madatali vs. Reya Lee Coe (NEB) - 6-3, 3-4 unfinished
No. 5 – Kida Ferrari def. Lucy Loy (NEB) - 6-3, 6-3
No. 6 – Kasia Treiber def. Natalia Trigosso (NEB) - 6-2, 6-2
Order of Finish
Doubles: 2, 1
Singles: 5, 6, 2
Duration: 2:10
Attendance: 77
Played indoors
NEXT UP
Illinois is back in action from the Atkins Tennis Center next weekend as Oregon (March 22) and No. 19 Washington (March 24) come to town.
