The 1-5 Illini will look to break their four-match losing streak with three home games this weekend, when they will face the Duke Blue Devils, Northern Kentucky Norse and the No. 23 North Carolina Tar Heels.

Illinois was originally supposed to have matches against Duke and North Carolina two weeks ago, but they were postponed due to a winter weather advisory in Champaign.

Since that postponement, the Illini have played two matches, losing both matches emphatically to No. 20 Michigan, 4-1, and to Notre Dame, 4-0.

After two big losses last time out, the Illini knew they had to change something in their preparations moving forward, as a losing streak of this length for this program is unheard of in recent years.

“I think we are definitely going to have to change some things in terms of how we prepare,” said head coach Brad Dancer. “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result. It’s a new team, and we are doing things the way we have always done things, so maybe we need to change things up a little bit.”

Since the first postponement of matches, Duke has lost two matches. One loss to No. 10 Kentucky and a second to Northwestern saw the Blue Devils move to 4-3 on the season. The Blue Devils will be a big test for the Illini, as both teams have received votes for the Top 25, meaning Duke has performed well against ranked opponents this season.

The Norse of Northern Kentucky will be the Illini’s second match this Saturday, and they will meet in competitive play for the first time. The Norse are currently sitting at 1-1 on the season, with their only loss being to No. 10 Kentucky. This will be a must win for the Illini, as the Norse’s 1-1 record points to them being the weakest opponents of the weekend.

Sunday will see the Illini take on the talented No. 23 Tar Heels lineup. Since the last postponement of matches, the Tar Heels have gone 3-1, with a win against No. 13 South Carolina and the team’s only loss coming at the hands of No. 22 North Carolina State.

In preseason play, Illinois and North Carolina met at the Georgia Tech MLK Invitational. The match was not scored, but according to match results, the Illini would have lost 4-3. If the Illini want to get their first ranked win of the season, they will have to take down the Tar Heels this weekend.

The Illini had no real standout performers last weekend, as they struggled heavily in both matches. However, their only point of the weekend came at Michigan in doubles. The No. 57 pair of sophomore Hunter Heck and redshirt sophomore Lucas Horve will play a big part in making sure the Illini break their loss streak this weekend.

The action at Atkins begins on Saturday at noon with the team’s first match against the Blue Devils. Later that day, a match at 5 p.m. sees the Illini take on the Norse, and Sunday’s noon matchup against the Tar Heels will be the final match of the weekend.

@DrewFriberg9

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