Chambana Sun

Illinois is preparing to begin its Big Ten women's tennis season with home matches against Maryland and Rutgers. The Fighting Illini will face the Terrapins at the Atkins Tennis Center on Friday at 3 p.m., followed by a match against the Scarlet Knights on Sunday at 12 p.m.

The team concluded its non-conference schedule with an 8-5 record, boasting a strong 5-1 performance in home matches. After Sunday's game, Illinois will host a free kids clinic on the courts.

Recently, Illinois played against future Big Ten opponent Washington, where they lost 4-1 despite winning the doubles point. Megan Heuser and Alice Xu achieved a notable victory over Washington's No. 34-ranked duo Olsen/Jacobs.

Historically, Illinois holds a dominant record of 10-1 against Maryland and has won all eight encounters with Rutgers. Coach Evan Clark has been instrumental in these successes during his nine-year tenure.

Illinois recently climbed to No. 24 in national rankings, their highest since 2019. Kasia Treiber earned her first Big Ten Women's Tennis Player of the Week award after strong performances against Brown and Marshall.

Heuser and Xu also entered ITA rankings at No. 35 following an impressive start in doubles play this season.

Under Clark's leadership, Illinois had an impressive last season with an 18-10 overall record and secured their place in the NCAA Team Tournament for the third time under his guidance.

The team retains six players from last year, including seniors Josie Frazier and Kate Duong. They are joined by transfer McKenna Schaefbauer and freshmen Rosie Seccia and Alice Xu.

Following this weekend's matches, Illinois will travel to Iowa and Nebraska next week for further Big Ten contests.