Rosalind Senopoulos Assistant Athletic Trainer (M/W Tennis) | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Rosalind Senopoulos Assistant Athletic Trainer (M/W Tennis) | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Fighting Illini women's tennis head coach Evan Clark has announced the addition of Tess Bucher, a rising sophomore transfer from Kentucky, to the team. Originally from Uniontown, Ohio, Bucher played her freshman season at Kentucky after a successful high school career at North Canton Hoover High School.
Bucher was recognized as a 5-star recruit by tennisrecruiting.net and earned First Team All-Ohio honors throughout her high school years from 2020 to 2023. She achieved a national ranking as high as No. 39 and was ranked No. 2 in Ohio for the class of 2024. In 2023, she won the Ohio state Division 1 singles championship and had previously reached the finals in 2022 and semifinals in both 2020 and 2021. She was named Player of the Year four times in the Federal League and three times in Stark County.
During her final season at North Canton Hoover High School, Bucher maintained an unbeaten record of 37-0 and received High School All-American honors. Her junior year record stood at 36-3, while she recorded a 36-2 performance during her sophomore year and a freshman year tally of 33-4.
Bucher also participated in softball until her senior year of high school.
In her freshman year with Kentucky, Bucher held a singles record of 17-16 across various positions (No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5) in dual play. Her doubles record was marked at 12-11 over all three courts in dual action. The Kentucky team finished their season with a record of 14-13 overall and progressed to the second round of the SEC Tournament.
Explaining her decision to join Illinois, Bucher stated: "I chose Illinois because of the amazing team culture that the coaches have built. It really feels like home when you step on campus, and I am super excited to get started in the fall!"
Coach Evan Clark expressed his enthusiasm about adding Bucher to the team: "We could not be more excited to add Tess to the Fighting Illini Women's Tennis family... Tess is an incredible competitor that fits the Illini mold... What excites us most is that we believe Tess has great potential both as a teammate and as an individual tennis player."
Bucher looks forward to continuing her college tennis career with Illinois.
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