The University of Illinois Fighting Illini women’s tennis team will host Purdue and Indiana at the Atkins Tennis Center in Urbana on March 21 and 22. The matches are scheduled for noon each day, with free admission for all fans.
These matches are important as they mark a key stretch in Big Ten Conference play for the Illini, who currently hold a 6-7 record this season. The team has faced tough competition, with five losses coming against top-25 ranked opponents. Illinois recently secured back-to-back wins over Kansas City and Nebraska before narrowly losing to No. 45 Iowa and then defeating Northwestern.
Purdue enters the weekend with a 6-5 overall record and is ranked No. 61 nationally, while Indiana holds an 11-4 record and is ranked No. 69. Both teams have seen mixed results in conference play this year. According to the official website, the University of Illinois Fighting Illini Women’s Tennis participates in NCAA Division I competition according to the official website.
Senior McKenna Schaefbauer has been recognized as Big Ten Women’s Tennis Player of the Week after earning her highest-ranked win against a top-40 opponent earlier this season. Schaefbauer reached a career-best singles ranking of No. 29 in March ITA rankings. Sophomore Ariel Madatali was named to the Big Ten Players to Watch List ahead of her second dual season with Illinois.
The Illini’s schedule includes at least eleven matches against teams that appeared in last year’s NCAA Team Tournament, reflecting their competitive slate within NCAA Division I athletics according to the official website. Head coach Evan Clark is now in his eleventh year leading the program, which competes within the Big Ten Conference as part of University of Illinois athletics according to the official website. The team is based in Champaign, Illinois according to the official website.
Following these home matches, Illinois will travel to face Oregon and Washington next weekend.
