[8] Illinois Set to Face [9] Nebraska in Big Ten Tournament

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Fighting Illini Women’s Tennis opens up postseason play on Thursday morning, going through Nebraska within the First Round of the Big Ten Women’s Tennis Tournament offered by Allstate. The eighth-seeded Illini tackle the ninth-seeded Cornhuskers at 8 a.m. CT.

No. 55-ranked Illinois completed off the common season with a 7-6 mark in convention play and a 12-12 document total, 9 of its 12 losses coming to top-25 ranked groups. The Illini completed the season sturdy, taking their final three matches of the yr towards Bradley, Rutgers and No. 45 Maryland.

Senior McKenna Schaefbauer enters the postseason ranked No. 58 by ITA after a 14-6 marketing campaign in twin play and 9-4 marks versus Big Ten opponents after taking down Maryland’s No. 101 Oliwia Orlinska in three units. Alice Xu and Tess Bucher conclude the common season ranked 67th in doubles.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers, ranked forty seventh by ITA, closed the season with a 7-6 document within the Big Ten and 15-8 total. Nebraska is a well-recognized foe for Illinois, because the Illini took the Huskers down in 4-0 trend earlier this season on March 6 within the Big Ten opener.

If the Orange and Blue are victorious on Thursday morning, they may advance to face top-seeded Ohio State at 8 a.m. on Friday.

RANKING NOTES

• Illinois
  

  • Team Ranking – 55
  • Singles Rankings
    
  • Doubles Rankings
    

• Nebraska

  • Team Ranking — 47
  • Singles Rankings – N/A
  • Doubles Rankings 

    • No. 40 – Katie Spencer/Conley Raidt

DOUBLES POINTS

1. Jan. 24 vs. Miami (OH) – #2 Schaefbauer/Cooper and #3 Mester/Madatali
2. Feb. 2 vs. DePaul – #2 Schaefbauer/Cooper and #3 Mester/Madatali
3. March 2 vs. Kansas City – #1 Bucher/Xu and #2 Madatali/Schaefbauer
4. March 6 at Nebraska – #1 Bucher/Xu and #2 Madatali/Mester
5. March 21 vs. Purdue – #2 Bucher/Xu and #3 Cooper/Madatali
6. March 27 at Oregon – #2 Mester/Xu and #3 Cooper/Madatali
7. April 12 vs. USC – #1 Bucher/Xu and #3 Isyanov/Mester
8. April 14 vs. Bradley – #1 Bucher/Xu and #2 Madatali/Schaefbauer
9. April 19 at Maryland – #1 Bucher/Xu and #3 Isyanov/Mester

CLINCHES

1. Jan. 24 vs. Miami (OH) – #1 McKenna Schaefbauer – 6-3, 6-4
2. Feb. 2 vs. DePaul – #3 Ariel Madatali – 6-1, 3-6, 6-2
3. Feb. 13 at Iowa State – #5 Lizzie Isyanov – 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
4. March 2 vs. Kansas City – #1 McKenna Schaefbauer – 6-3, 6-1
5. March 6 at Nebraska – #1 McKenna Schaefbauer – 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
6. March 14 vs. Northwestern – #3 Ariel Madatali – 6-4, 2-6, 7-5
7. March 21 vs. Purdue – #5 Alice Xu – 3-6, 6-0, 6-2
8. March 22 vs. Indiana – #5 Alice Xu – 6-2, 7-5
9. March 27 at Oregon – #2 Kimiko Cooper – 2-6, 6-4, 6-3
10. April 14 vs. Bradley – #1 Kimiko Cooper – 6-2, 6-2
11. April 17 at Rutgers – #4 Tess Bucher – 6-4, 4-6, 6-1
12. April 19 at Maryland – #1 McKenna Schaefbauer, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3

ILLINI NOTES

• Ranked No. 65 of their first ballot again, Tess Bucher and Alice Xu have returned to the doubles rankings after taking down USC’s No. 24-ranked pair of Lily Fairclough and Krisha Mahendran on April 12. Bucher and Xu have been ranked for the primary 9 weeks of twin play in addition to the final two polls.
• For the primary time of her profession, Fighting Illini senior McKenna Schaefbauer was named the Big Ten Women’s Tennis Player of the Week, the league workplace introduced comply with Illinois’ opening weekend of play. The Normal, Illinois, native produced a 2-0 opening weekend that noticed her earn the highest-ranked win of her profession with a victory over the No. 40-ranked participant within the nation.
• McKenna Schaefbauer picked up her second ranked singles win of the season on Feb. 20 when Illinois hosted Wisconsin. The Illini senior earned a straight-set upset of No. 14 Maria Sholokhova at No. 1 singles.
• In the March 3 ITA singles rankings, McKenna Schaefbauer earned a No. 34 studying – the very best of her profession.
• Schaefbauer climbed once more within the March 17 ITA singles rankings, reaching a brand new career-best at No. 29. 
• During the preseason, Fighting Illini sophomore Ariel Madatali was named to the 2026 Big Ten Women’s Tennis Players to Watch List. The St. Louis native is headed into her second twin season with the Orange and Blue. Madatali is considered one of 18 athletes named to the Players to Watch List.
• Illinois’ 2026 slate options no less than 11 matches towards squads that appeared within the 2025 NCAA Team Tournament.
• The Fighting Illini confronted two top-25 ranked opponents throughout opening weekend (No. 21 Pepperdine, No. 25 Baylor) and adopted that up with three extra ranked matches whereas internet hosting the ITA Team Indoor National Championship (No. 3 North Carolina, No. 7 Duke, No. 12 Vanderbilt). Illinois confronted its sixth top-25 crew at No. 20 Washington on March 29 and seventh top-25 foes vs. No. 17 Michigan on April 4.
• From Feb. 6-10, the Illini co-hosted the ITA National Indoor Team Championships with Northwestern. As an occasion host, Illinois was assured three matches within the occasion and doesn’t must qualify by ITA Kickoff Weekend. Besides Illinois and Northwestern, the remaining 14 groups certified by profitable two matches at their respective ITA Kickoff Weekend websites.
• Illinois added a pair of SEC transfers heading into this season. Tess Bucher (Kentucky) and Cara Mester (Oklahoma) each enter their sophomore seasons at Illinois.
• The Fighting Illini freshman class ranked No. 14 nationally by Tennis Recruiting Network. Risa Ueno (No. 14), Lizzie Isyanov (No. 37), and Kimiko Cooper (No. 18) make up the 2025-26 newcomers.
• In the 2026 Tennis Recruiting Network class rankings, Illinois ranked No. 20 total and third within the Big Ten. Evan Clark has now had back-to-back ranked courses for the primary time in his profession and Clark has now introduced in 5 top-25 recruiting courses total.
• Head coach Evan Clark is in his eleventh yr as the pinnacle coach of Illinois ladies’s tennis, holds an total twin document of 159-112 (.587), and is 81-42 (.659) in Big Ten play throughout his time as an Illini. Including his time as the pinnacle coach at UNC-Wilmington, Clark owns a 190-123 (.607) document total.
• Illinois has made the NCAA Tournament in three-straight seasons for the primary time underneath Clark and third time in program historical past. The 2024-25 season’s look marked the fifth with Clark on the helm.
• Across program historical past, Illinois has appeared within the NCAA Tournament 16 instances and owns a 5-16 all-time document.
• Illinois owns an 87-40 (.685) document when enjoying at house underneath Evan Clark (begins 2016 twin season).

RECORDS