Schaefbauer Clinches Illini Win at Maryland

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Illinois senior McKenna Schaefbauer clinched No. 58 Illinois' 4-1 win at No. 45 Maryland on Sunday to close the regular season. Action took place indoors from the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Maryland. 

Illinois improved to 12-12 overall with its third-straight win and finished with a 7-6 record in league play this season. Maryland is now 16-6 on the year and 8-5 in Big Ten outings. The Fighting Illini are now 12-1 all-time against Maryland including a 10-0 mark under head coach Evan Clark.

Doubles action finished in numerical order with Illinois winning on the odd courts to claim the doubles point for the ninth time this season. 

No. 65 Tess Bucher and Alice Xu blanked Maryland's No. 74-ranked duo, 6-0. Illinois' top tandem now owns a 14-13 record when teaming up. After Maryland took the decision at No. 2 doubles, the Illini's Cara Mester and Lizzie Isyanov never trailed en route to a 6-3 win on the third court to secure the doubles point. Mester and Isyanov are now 5-2 when playing together.

In singles play, Bucher extended the Illinois advantage to 2-0 with a victory at No. 5. The sophomore won a 6-1, 3-6, 6-0 battle and is now 8-13 overall, 7-10 in dual play and 4-6 in conference showings.

Mester pushed the Illini lead out to 3-0 with her straight-set win at No. 6 singles. The sophomore trailed 1-4, and 4-5 in the first set before claiming the final three games for a 7-5 win. She never trailed in the second set and secured another 7-5 decision. Mester's record is up to 17-5 overall, 11-3 in dual play, and 7-2 in Big Ten matches with the win.

Maryland got on the board with a three-set decision at No. 3 singles.

McKenna Schaefbauer earned her fourth ranked win of the season with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 win at No. 1 singles over Maryland's No. 101-ranked top player. With her fourth clinch of the season, the Illini senior is now 23-10 overall, 14-6 in dual play, and 9-4 in Big Ten tilts.

Action at No. 2 and 4 would go unfinished in the third set.

NEXT UP

With the regular season in the books, the Fighting Illini now turn their focus to the Big Ten Tournament. Ohio State will host the event from the Ty Tucker Tennis Center from April 23-26. The league's top 12 regular season finishers earn a spot in the postseason event.

#58 ILLINOIS (12-12, 7-6 B1G) 4, #45 MARYLAND (16-6, 8-5 B1G) 1

Doubles:
1 - No. 65 Tess Bucher/Alice Xu (ILL) def. No. 74 Ghirardato/Challa (UM) - 6-0 
2 - Kovacevic/Gagoshidze (UM) def. McKenna Schaefbauer/Ariel Madatali (ILL) - 6-1
3 - Cara Mester/Lizzie Isyanov (ILL) def. Orlinska/Eissa (UM) - 6-3

Order of finish: 1, 2, 3

Singles: 
1 - No. 57 McKenna Schaefbauer (ILL) def. No. 101 Oliwia Orlinska (UM) - 6-3, 2-6, 6-3
2 - Kimiko Cooper (ILL) vs. Emma Ghirardato (UM) - 2-6, 6-4, 5-5, unfinished
3 - Magdalena Baniak (UM) def. Alice Xu (ILL) - 6-3, 2-6, 6-3
4 - Ariel Madatali (ILL) vs. Diya Challa (UM) - 6-1, 2-6, 3-1, unfinished
5 - Tess Bucher (ILL) def. Lucia Donnelly (UM) - 6-1, 3-6, 6-0
6 - Cara Mester (ILL) def. Tamari Gagoshidze (UM) - 7-5, 7-5 

Order of finish: 5, 6, 3, 1
Duration: 2:58
Played indoors