Illini Open Big Ten Play at Minnesota and Wisconsin

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – After a 10-match homestand that included hosting the ITA Team Indoor Nationals, No. 45 Fighting Illini women's tennis hits the road as the squad opens Big Ten play this weekend. Head coach Evan Clark's squad will start at No. 60 Minnesota on Friday with a 4 p.m. CT match before visiting No. 17 Wisconsin for a 12 p.m. CT contest on Sunday.

Illinois holds a 5-6 record on the season but is 0-1 in away matches this year. Minnesota owns an 8-6 record this season, an 0-1 mark in Big Ten play, and is 5-1 in home matches. Wisconsin enters the weekend with an 8-1 record, is 1-0 in league play, and sits at 2-0 in home matches.

The Fighting Illini lead the all-time series against Minnesota, 36-18. Illinois is 24-29 all-time against Wisconsin.

Ranking Notes

Team –

• No. 17 - Wisconsin
• No. 45 - Illinois
• No. 60 - Minnesota

Doubles –

• No. 21 Sholokova/Mukhortova (Wisconsin)
• No. 62 Cataldi/Reynoldson (Wisconsin)

Singles –

• No. 5 Maria Sholokhova (Wisconsin)
• No. 109 Taylor Cataldi (Wisconsin)
• No. 114 Violeta Martinez (Illinois)

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
March 1 vs. Western Michigan - 1: Heuser/Ferrari, 2: Martinez/Xu
March 1 vs. Chicago State - 2: Schaefbauer/Treiber, 3: Madatali/Seccia

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)
 

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 137-93 (.596), 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 168-104 record overall.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.