Meaghan Naas Director of Tennis Operations | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Meaghan Naas Director of Tennis Operations | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
The Fighting Illini women's tennis team is set to return to conference play this weekend with two matches at the Atkins Tennis Center. Illinois will face Iowa on Friday evening, followed by a match against Nebraska on Sunday.
Illinois holds a 6-7 record for the season, including a 5-5 home record. Iowa, ranked No. 49, comes into the weekend with a 7-4 overall record and a 1-1 mark in Big Ten play. Nebraska, ranked No. 58, has a 10-3 overall record and is yet to win in league play this season.
The upcoming match against Iowa will be the 63rd meeting between the two teams, with Illinois leading the series 34-28. The contest against Nebraska will be their 16th encounter, where Illinois holds an 8-7 advantage.
Evan Clark, head coach of Illinois women's tennis, is in his tenth year and has achieved significant success. "Clark owns a dual record of 138-94 (.596) and is one victory away from becoming the program's all-time winningest head coach," matching Jennifer Roberts' record.
Freshman Ariel Madatali leads the team with fourteen singles wins this season. Violeta Martinez also made notable contributions by securing ranked wins in both doubles and singles matches against UCLA.
McKenna Schaefbauer clinched her first win of the season during Illinois' sweep over Iowa State. She was recognized as one of the Big Ten Women's Tennis Players to Watch following her successful sophomore year.
The Illini are coming off a strong previous season with seventeen wins and an NCAA Tournament appearance under Coach Clark's leadership.
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