Chambana Sun

In Urbana, Illinois, the Illinois women's tennis team secured a victory in their first outdoor home match of the season, defeating Maryland 4-1 to kick off Big Ten play. This win marks the eleventh consecutive triumph over the Terrapins for the team.

Head coach Evan Clark expressed pride in his team's performance, stating, "I'm so proud of our squad today and how they managed several difficult dynamics surrounding this match." He also praised Maryland as a formidable opponent, adding that navigating through the match gives Illinois confidence moving forward.

With this win, No. 46 ranked Illinois improved their season record to 9-5 and achieved a 1-0 start in league action. They also boast a strong home record of 6-1 this season. Meanwhile, No. 49 ranked Maryland shares an identical overall record but starts with a 0-1 mark in Big Ten play.

Illinois claimed its eighth doubles point of the season at the Atkins Tennis Center. The pair of McKenna Schaefbauer and Kasia Treiber won at No. 3 doubles with a score of 6-2 in their first outing together. Megan Heuser and Alice Xu clinched the opening point for Illinois with a comeback win at No. 1 doubles by defeating Miranda/Budin from Maryland with a scoreline of 6-3.

Alice Xu delivered a dominant performance in singles play with straight-set victories at No. 6 singles, while Kida Ferrari secured another crucial win at No. 5 singles to extend Illinois' lead to 3-1.

Megan Heuser sealed her second match victory for Illinois after overcoming an early deficit against Minorka Miranda from Maryland at No. 1 singles. Her efforts resulted in winning both sets decisively to contribute significantly to her team's success.

Looking ahead, Illinois is set to host Rutgers on Sunday at noon CT from Atkins Tennis Center where they have historically maintained an undefeated record against them.