Currently on a two-game winning streak, Illinois women’s tennis will be on the road for a Friday matchup against Iowa, followed by a Sunday showdown at Nebraska.

The Illini are 10-6 overall and 3-1 in Big Ten play. This weekend will be a crucial one as Illinois will be hoping to pick up two more wins on the road.

“Going 2-0 this weekend was really key for us,” sophomore Kate Duong said. “Last weekend we had a tough loss against Wisconsin, and we wanted to get right off the bat and come out strong this weekend. Winning 7-0 today and 4-3 yesterday gives us confidence going on the road, and I think we’ll be really good next week.”

The Illini have been a nearly unbeatable team at home, currently 9-1 while playing on home courts. However, they’ve struggled away with a 1-5 record.

While the team has already proven that they are a group of winners, finding the balance between home and road success will elevate them to the next level.

Friday’s match will see Illinois take on a struggling Iowa team, who are 11-4 overall and 4-0 in the Big Ten.

Illinois cannot afford to come out slow, as anything can happen in conference play. Illinois takes the all-time record against Iowa 15-9. However, when playing the Hawkeyes in Iowa City, the Illini are 4-4. Friday will provide a chance to improve this record.

After a day off, Sunday will see Illinois take on Nebraska in Lincoln. The Illini and the Cornhuskers have identical records, both teams being 10-6 overall and 3-1 in the conference.

Illinois will be looking for revenge Sunday, as it was Nebraska who triumphed 4-3 the last time out. Overall, the two teams are 5-5 against each other and both will be battling to gain the advantage.

“Iowa’s a good team,” head coach Evan Clark said. “We struggled with them last year on the road — Nebraska as well. We feel like it’s gonna be next-tier teams in the Big Ten this weekend.”

Once again, Illinois is on a two-game winning streak. Last weekend saw the team take down Maryland in a close 4-3 victory, followed by a 7-0 sweep of Rutgers two days later.

The Illini will be hoping to keep the run going by getting their first road win since Jan. 17.

“We’ve had a lot of momentum,” Clark said. “I feel like in the first four matches, we’ve put ourselves in the position to win all four, so hopefully the girls have confidence, and we’ll take that confidence into next weekend.”

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