The Fighting Illini women's tennis team is set to host Georgia Tech and Colorado at the Atkins Tennis Center this weekend. The matches will commence with Georgia Tech on Friday at 3 p.m. CT, followed by a Sunday morning match against Colorado at 10 a.m. Admission to both events is free.
Promotions for the weekend include an "Orange Out" on Friday, offering free orange shirts to the first 100 fans. On Sunday, in celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, fans can share cards featuring their favorite female athletes and role models while enjoying complimentary coffee and donuts.
Illinois enters the weekend with a season record of 1-1 and remains undefeated at home. Historically, Illinois has struggled against Georgia Tech, holding a 0-3 record in past encounters, including last year's NCAA Tournament meeting. Conversely, Illinois boasts a perfect 3-0 record against Colorado from previous matches held in 2005, 2003, and 2002.
In doubles rankings, Anya Nelson and Ema Bubalo from Colorado are ranked No. 21, while Alejandra Cruz and Given Roach from Georgia Tech hold the No. 54 spot. In singles play, McKenna Schaefbauer of Illinois is ranked No. 109, followed closely by teammate Violeta Martinez at No. 111.
Evan Clark leads Illinois as head coach for his tenth year with an overall dual record of 132-86 (.606) and a Big Ten play record of 67-31 (.684). Under Clark's leadership since the start of the dual season in 2016, Illinois has maintained a strong home performance with a record of 73-24.
Following their recent victory over Northwestern on January 25th—a fifth consecutive win against them—Illinois will face Northwestern again for a Big Ten match on April 12th in Evanston.
Junior McKenna Schaefbauer was highlighted during preseason as one to watch after her successful sophomore year that included a singles record of 17-10 and doubles performance of 18-16.
Looking ahead, Illinois will co-host the ITA National Indoor Team Championships from February 7th to February 9th alongside Northwestern who will also host from February 7th to February11th. This event guarantees Illinois participation in at least three matches.
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