Chambana Sun

The Illinois women's tennis team will host Penn State and Ohio State at the Atkins Tennis Center this weekend. The Illini will honor seniors Kasia Treiber, Kida Ferrari, and Megan Heuser in what is being dubbed as Senior Weekend. The match against Penn State is set for Saturday at 12 p.m. CT, followed by a Sunday match against Ohio State, also at 12 p.m.

Illinois enters the matches with a season record of 9-10 and a Big Ten record of 4-4. The team holds a 7-7 record when playing at home this year. The upcoming match against Ohio State marks the eighth clash of the season against a top-25 ranked team.

Penn State comes into the weekend with a 13-5 overall record, sharing the same 4-4 record in Big Ten play. Ohio State starts their road trip with a match against Northwestern and currently holds a 13-2 record, including 7-1 in league play.

The Illini historically hold a 28-4 advantage over Penn State and most recently won against them 4-1 last year. Against Ohio State, Illinois has a 35-21 record in their all-time series, but Ohio State won 4-2 in their last meeting.

Illinois recently experienced a split weekend in Michigan, losing 4-0 against Michigan and then defeating Michigan State by the same scoreline.

A senior recognition ceremony will take place before the Sunday match against Ohio State.

Head Coach Evan Clark is in his 10th season with Illinois and holds a dual record of 141-97 and a Big Ten record of 70-35. He is now the program's all-time winningest head coach with 141 victories, surpassing previous record holder Jennifer Roberts. The Illini have had a successful history under Coach Clark, appearing in the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons and achieving consistent wins.

The team is led by Ariel Madatali with 15 singles victories this season. Violeta Martinez and Alice Xu achieved a notable doubles win against UCLA. Illinois continues to maintain strong performances on the court this season.