CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – No. 24 Illinois remains on the road for a two-match swing in the state of Michigan. The Fighting Illini will take on No. 23 Michigan on Friday at 5 p.m. CT before battling Michigan State on Sunday at 11 a.m. CT.
Currently riding a three-match winning streak, the Orange and Blue enter the weekend with a 12-6 record and a 5-2 mark in conference play heading into the second half of their Big Ten regular-season schedule.
LAST TIME OUT
Illinois secured two sweeps in its doubleheader against Northwestern and Chicago State on Saturday, March 29. The Fighting Illini began the afternoon with a 4-0 road win over the Wildcats in Big Ten play before recording a 4-0 victory over Chicago State to close the day.
Winning the doubles point in both duals, the Illini swept both the Wildcats and the Cougars to improve to 12-6 this season.
In doubles play against Northwestern, William Mroz and Zach Viiala were the first to finish, improving to 6-1 as a duo via a 6-2 win over Saiprakash Goli and Greyson Casey at No. 2 doubles. Mathis Debru and Max Mroz ultimately secured the doubles point via a 7-6(4) victory at No. 3 doubles, which saw the pair pick up their first triumph as a tandem in Big Ten action.
Switching to singles action, Viiala continued his winning ways with a 6-3, 6-4 decision over Northwestern's Max Bergtsson. Kenta Miyoshi then extended the Orange and Blue's lead with a 6-3, 6-2 win against Saiprakash Goli at the top singles court. Will Mroz clinched the Illini's road triumph with a come-from-behind 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 win against Felix Nordby at No. 2 singles, which saw him improve to 5-0 against conference competition.
ABOUT #23 MICHIGAN, MICHIGAN STATE
Michigan, ranked No. 23 in the latest ITA team rankings, holds a 12-8 overall record and a 6-2 tally against Big Ten opposition after splitting last weekend's home duals with a 4-3 loss to No. 3 Ohio State and a 4-0 sweep of Penn State. The Wolverines are 2-7 against top-25 teams this season, with the victories coming against No. 14 Tennessee and No. 24 Harvard.
Friday's dual marks the second meeting between Michigan and Illinois this season. The then-No. 20 Illini secured a 5-2 victory against the then-No. 12 Wolverines in a non-conference contest at Atkins Tennis Center on Feb. 22. Michigan has won seven of its 10 matches since then, though two of those defeats came at the hands of No. 3 Ohio State. During conference play, Michigan has posted wins against Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana, and Penn State while dropping duals against Nebraska and the No. 3 Buckeyes.
Entering the weekend with a 6-2 record on their home courts, the Wolverines have three ranked singles players: No. 79 Gavin Young, No. 82 Benjamin Kittay, and No. 83 Will Cooksey. Young and Kittay also sit at No. 14 in the ITA doubles rankings and are currently the highest-ranked doubles duo in the Big Ten.
Michigan State is 11-7 overall and 6-2 in conference play heading into the weekend. The Spartans are No. 31 in the most recent ITA team rankings, the sixth-highest mark among Big Ten teams. Winners of four of its last five, MSU is coming off back-to-back duals that went the distance: a 4-3 win against Penn State and a 4-3 loss to No. 3 Ohio State.
The Spartans are 7-1 at home this season, with last week's loss to the ranked Buckeyes ending the program's seven-match home winning streak to start the spring. Michigan State is 2-3 against top-25 opponents in 2025, which features victories against No. 7 Kentucky and No. 10 Arizona, both of which occurred on the Spartans' home courts.
In Big Ten play, Michigan State has registered victories against Washington, Oregon, Nebraska, Indiana, Purdue, and Penn State while suffering losses to Wisconsin and No. 3 Ohio State. The result against the Badgers was previously a 4-3 Spartan victory. Michigan State used a lineup that was different from the one submitted during the midweek lineup review process, and the Badgers were given the win at No. 6 singles and, ultimately, a 4-3 triumph.
Currently sitting in a tie for third place in the conference standing, the Spartans have the joint-most ranked singles players in the Big Ten with four: No. 10 Ozan Baris, No. 28 Aristotelis Thanos, No. 91 Matthew Forbes, and No. 93 Max Sheldon.
SERIES HISTORY
Michigan leads the all-time series with Illinois, 70-45-2, which includes the Illini's win against the Wolverines earlier this season. The Orange and Blue are looking for their first road victory against Michigan since the 2018-19 season, when the Illini tallied a 4-2 triumph over the No. 20 Wolverines on April 7, 2019.
Illinois is 65-28 against the Spartans, dating back to the teams' first meeting in 1939. Michigan State notched a 4-3 victory against Illinois last season, though the Illini have won the last 16 matches against the Spartans in East Lansing; Illinois' last road defeat against Michigan State came in 1994.
DANCER EARNS CONTRACT EXTENSION THROUGH 2031
Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman has announced a contract extension for longtime Fighting Illini men's tennis head coach Brad Dancer. The new agreement keeps Dancer on contract through the 2030-31 season.
"Brad Dancer is a trusted, veteran leader in our athletics department and one of the most accomplished coaches throughout all of collegiate tennis, and we are thrilled to extend our partnership through the next six years as he continues to lead a championship-caliber men's tennis program," Whitman said. "Brad is a relentless competitor who inspires his athletes and is committed to their development both on and off the court. Despite decades of success, he is never complacent, exhausting every avenue each day to push his team to new heights. We are grateful to Brad and his family for becoming ingrained into the fabric of the University of Illinois community, and we look forward to many more successful years for Fighting Illini Men's Tennis."
Currently in his 20th season as head coach and 21st campaign overall at Illinois, Dancer has guided the Orange and Blue to 17 NCAA Tournament berths, 11 Sweet 16 appearances, three Big Ten Tournament titles, and two Big Ten regular-season conference championships, building on the program's longstanding winning tradition.
Since taking over as head coach on June 28, 2005, Dancer has become the Illinois men's tennis program's all-time winningest coach while currently ranking as the eighth-winningest coach in Big Ten history. A two-time ITA Regional Coach of the Year, Dancer has coached 28 All-Americans, 42 All-Big Ten honorees, four Big Ten Players of the Year, and two Big Ten Freshmen of the Year during his tenure with the Orange and Blue.
Dancer holds a record of 386-180 overall and 160-40 in Big Ten play during his time at the helm of the Fighting Illini, with his overall wins and conference victories both ranking first in program history.
ILLINI EARN FIRST TOP-25 WIN OF SEASON, DEFEAT NO. 12 MICHIGAN
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.
MIYOSHI EARNS ITA SINGLES ALL-AMERICAN STATUS
Illinois junior Kenta Miyoshi earned ITA All-America status during his first-ever appearance at the NCAA Singles Championship, advancing to the singles third round at Baylor's Hurd Tennis Center in Waco, Texas. Miyoshi represented the Fighting Illini men's tennis program at the event, which moved from the spring to the fall for the first time.
Miyoshi picked up two straight-set ranked wins en route to securing Singles All-American honors for the first time in his career before falling in the third round on Nov. 19.
TEAMS/PLAYERS IN THE ITA RANKINGS
Team
- No. 23: Michigan
- No. 24: Illinois
- No. 31: Michigan State
Singles
- No. 10: Ozan Baris (Michigan State)
- No. 16: Kenta Miyoshi (Illinois)
- No. 28: Aristotelis Thanos (Michigan State)
- No. 64: William Mroz (Illinois)
- No. 79: Gavin Young (Michigan)
- No. 82: Benjamin Kittay (Michigan)
- No. 83: Will Cooksey (Michigan)
- No. 91: Matthew Forbes (Michigan State)
- No. 93: Max Sheldon (Michigan State)
Doubles
