CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Fighting Illini women's tennis head coach Evan Clark has announced the addition of rising sophomore transfer Tess Bucher to the program. The Uniontown, Ohio, native played her freshman season at Kentucky following a high school career at North Canton Hoover H.S.
A 5-star recruit by tennisrecruiting.net, Bucher earned First Team All-Ohio honors all four years of her high school career (2020-23). Ranked as high as No. 39 nationally and No. 2 in Ohio for the 2024 class, she won the Ohio state Division 1 singles championship in 2023 after reaching the finals as a junior (2022), and made a semifinals appearance in both 2020 and '21. Bucher was the four-time Player of the Year in the Federal League and three-time Player of the Year in Stark County.
Bucher posted a perfect 37-0 record during her final season at North Canton Hoover High School as she earned High School All-American honors. As a junior, Bucher went 36-3 on the courts. Bucher posted a 36-2 record during her sophomore, and tallied a 33-4 reading as a freshman.
Bucher was a two-sport athlete until her senior year of high school. She was also on North Canton Hoover's softball team.
In her season as a Wildcat, Bucher posted a 17-16 overall singles record between the No. 3, 4, and 5 spots in dual play. She worked to a 12-11 overall doubles record, playing across all three courts in dual action. Kentucky went 14-13 during the 2025 campaign, including a 6-11 record in SEC play and advanced to the second round of the SEC Tournament.
Why she chose Illinois:
"I chose Illinois because of the amazing team culture that the coaches have built. It really feels like home when you step on campus, and I am super excited to get started in the fall!"
Clark on adding Tess Bucher:
"We could not be more excited to add Tess to the Fighting Illini Women's Tennis family. We believe it's all about the right fit and after spending some time with Tess and her family it became very clear that she was at home at Illinois. She wants to be here and she will take a lot of pride wearing the orange and blue.
Tess is an incredible competitor that fits the Illini mold, and her teammates will love playing on the court next to her. She's gained valuable experience after one year in the SEC and we know that experience will pay dividends as she continues her career with the Illini. What excites us the most, is that we believe Tess has great potential both as a teammate and as an individual tennis player. She has the ability to have a tremendous college tennis career, and we believe her best tennis is ahead of her in an Illini uniform. Welcome to Illinois, Tess."
