The University of Illinois Fighting Illini women’s tennis team earned a 4-2 win against No. 53 Oregon on Mar. 27, extending its winning streak to four matches. The match took place at the UO Student Tennis Center and marked the team’s first victory during their Pacific Northwest trip.
This result is significant as it improves Illinois’ season record to 9-7 overall and 5-1 in Big Ten Conference play. The team, which competes in NCAA Division I according to the official website, now holds a balanced away record for the season.
Illinois started strong by capturing the doubles point for the sixth time this year. Kimiko Cooper and Ariel Madatali won decisively at No. 3 doubles with a score of 6-0, while Cara Mester and Alice Xu clinched their match at No. 2 doubles with a score of 6-3. Mester continued her performance by winning her singles match at No. 6 in straight sets, improving her individual record to eight wins out of her last nine matches.
McKenna Schaefbauer contributed with a straight-set win at No.1 singles for her fourth consecutive victory, achieving a milestone of twenty career singles wins this season. Although Oregon narrowed the gap by winning matches at No.5 and No.3 singles, Cooper secured Illinois’ overall victory by coming back from one set down to claim her match at No.2 singles.
The Fighting Illini women’s tennis program operates as part of University of Illinois athletics in Champaign, Illinois and competes within the Big Ten Conference according to the official website. The team will conclude its Pacific Northwest series against Washington on Sunday.
