The University of Illinois Fighting Illini women’s tennis team will host Northwestern at the Atkins Tennis Center in Urbana on Saturday, March 14, at 1 p.m. Central Time.
This match is part of the ongoing NCAA Division I season for both teams and holds significance as a Big Ten Conference contest, according to the official website. The event will feature free admission and a Pi Day promotion, offering pie to early arriving fans.
Illinois enters the match with a 5-7 record, having faced five top-25 ranked opponents this season. The team recently secured consecutive wins over Kansas City and Nebraska before narrowly losing to No. 45 Iowa. Northwestern comes into the matchup with an 8-5 record and has performed well on the road, winning four out of six away matches so far this year.
Several Illinois players have achieved notable milestones this season. Senior McKenna Schaefbauer was named Big Ten Women’s Tennis Player of the Week after an undefeated opening weekend that included her highest-ranked singles win against a No. 40 opponent. Schaefbauer also upset No. 14 Maria Sholokhova from Wisconsin in straight sets and is currently ranked No. 34 in ITA singles rankings—the highest of her career.
Sophomore Ariel Madatali was listed among the Big Ten Women’s Tennis Players to Watch for the season, while newcomers Tess Bucher and Cara Mester joined as transfers from Kentucky and Oklahoma respectively. The freshman class is ranked No. 14 nationally by Tennis Recruiting Network, featuring Risa Ueno, Lizzie Isyanov, and Kimiko Cooper.
Head coach Evan Clark is in his eleventh year leading Illinois women’s tennis and has guided the program to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for only the third time in its history. Under Clark’s leadership since 2016, Illinois has maintained a strong home record with an .697 winning percentage at Atkins Tennis Center.
The Fighting Illini compete within NCAA Division I athletics as part of University of Illinois athletics and are based in Champaign, Illinois, according to the official website.
