The University of Illinois Fighting Illini Women’s Tennis team will close out its home schedule with matches against UCLA on April 10 and USC on April 12 at the Atkins Tennis Center in Urbana, Illinois. The team announced on April 9 that admission for both events is free, with special promotions planned for fans attending the matches.
These upcoming contests mark the end of the regular season’s home slate for Illinois, which competes in NCAA Division I and is part of the Big Ten Conference as a collegiate athletics program, according to the official website. The team currently holds a 5-4 record in Big Ten play and an overall record of 9-10. Seven of those losses have come against top-25 ranked opponents.
Illinois will face No. 16-ranked UCLA first, followed by No. 10-ranked USC. Both visiting teams have strong records this season: UCLA stands at 11-6 overall with a conference record matching Illinois’ own at 5-4, while USC has excelled in conference play with an impressive 8-1 mark.
The Illini roster features senior McKenna Schaefbauer, who recently earned her highest career singles ranking at No. 29 after securing notable victories over highly ranked opponents earlier this year. Schaefbauer was also named Big Ten Women’s Tennis Player of the Week following her performance during opening weekend. Sophomore Ariel Madatali was recognized as one of the Big Ten Players to Watch entering her second dual season.
Head coach Evan Clark leads Illinois into these final home matches during his eleventh year at the helm, holding an overall dual record of 156-110 (.586) and guiding his team to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for only the third time in program history.
Following this weekend’s action, Illinois will conclude its regular season on the road against Rutgers and Maryland later in April. The team’s continued presence among top recruiting classes reflects ongoing efforts to strengthen its position within collegiate tennis nationally.
