ROSEMONT, Ill. – For the first time of her career, Fighting Illini senior McKenna Schaefbauer has been named the Big Ten Women's Tennis Player of the Week, the league office announced on Wednesday. The Normal, Illinois, native is coming off a 2-0 opening weekend that saw her earn the highest-ranked win of her career.
Illinois women's tennis opened the 2026 dual season in Waco, Texas, with matches vs. No. 21 Pepperdine (up to No. 13 in the latest rankings) and at No. 25 Baylor. Schaefbauer played in Illinois' No. 1 singles slot, facing the top players from Pepperdine and Baylor.
On Friday, Schaefbauer earned a straight-set 6-4, 7-5 win over Ziva Falkner (Pepperdine). The senior battled from behind in both sets, trailing 0-2 in set one and 2-4 in the second before securing the win. Falkner would go on to beat the No. 2-ranked singles player in the NCAA two days later.
Schaefbauer followed Friday's performance with the highest-ranked win of her career on Saturday, an upset of No. 40 Na Dong from Baylor. The senior won the third-set superbreaker 10-7 to secure the 6-2, 3-6, 1-0 (10-7) upset.
The triumph marked the highest-ranked win of Schaefbauer's career and the eighth ranked victory overall. The senior is now 2-0 on the dual campaign and owns an 11-5 record on the season.
Schaefbauer and the Illini are back in action this weekend as they host Miami (Ohio) and Xavier for their first matches in Atkins Tennis Center of the 2026 dual campaign. Saturday features Illinois welcoming Miami (Ohio) for an 11 a.m. match followed by a 12 p.m. meeting against Xavier on Sunday.
