Chambana Sun

For the first time in the fall season, the University of Illinois women's tennis team will participate as a full squad at the Nebraska Invite. The event will take place from September 26 to 28 at the Sid and Hazel Dillon Tennis Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Illinois will compete alongside teams from Nebraska, Wichita State, Iowa State, Missouri, and Kansas State. Four student-athletes are set to make their debuts for Illinois during this tournament.

Former Illinois associate head coaches Jacob Eddins and German Dalmagro will also be present at the event. Eddins is now leading Wichita State’s program while Dalmagro is entering his third year with Nebraska.

Last weekend, McKenna Schaefbauer and Ariel Madatali represented Illinois at the ITA All-American Championships in Cary, North Carolina. Both competed in pre-qualifying singles and doubles matches. Schaefbauer achieved a three-set victory over Martyna Ostrzygalo of Arizona.

Transfers Tess Bucher and Cara Mester are expected to make their first appearances for Illinois at this event. They will join Lizzie Isyanov and Risa Ueno, who are making their collegiate debuts.

Following Jacob Eddins’ move to Wichita State, Evan Clark, head coach of Illinois women’s tennis, hired Alexis Casati Raines as associate head coach. "Since her graduation from Illinois in 2017, the Deerfield, Ill., native made coaching stops at Western Michigan (2017-19), SMU (2019-20), Georgia Tech (2020-24), and SMU (2024-25) most recently." Raines was a freshman during the 2013-14 season when she arrived in Champaign-Urbana. Clark joined as an assistant coach during her sophomore year before becoming interim head coach when she was a junior. He then served as full-time head coach during her senior season. Now they reunite eight seasons later.