It’s rivalry week as the Illini will be hosting the Wildcats in a wide range of sports, including tennis. Illinois women’s tennis will be preparing to defend home courts against in-state rivals Northwestern on Sunday at Atkins Tennis Center. The big showdown with the Wildcats will be a top of the Big Ten standings clash as both teams are currently contenders to win the conference title this season.

Illinois will be looking to bounce back after a split weekend the last time out. Despite winning 4-2 at home on Friday versus Purdue, the team suffered a tight 4-3 road loss to Penn State.

Sunday will provide a valuable opportunity to not only get back on track but also jump ahead even further in the Big Ten. Illinois currently sits in fourth place with a 6-2 conference record, and Northwestern currently sit in second place with a 7-1 record.

Historically, the Illini have struggled severely against the Wildcats, going 26-3 against their in-state rivals over the past two decades. However, in the two schools’ most recent meeting it was Illinois who triumphed, claiming a memorable 4-3 senior night upset over ranked No. 7 Northwestern. The victory last season is fresh in the minds of the returning Illini, who will be looking to achieve a similar feat on Sunday.

“That was probably our biggest win last year,” said junior Josie Frazier earlier in the season, “And I want to defend Illinois this year and beat them again.”

The Illinois versus Northwestern matchup is one that is highly anticipated no matter the sport. Both schools have no love for each other and as always, there are bragging rights on the line. However, for Illinois women’s tennis, the stakes are even higher than normal.

With only three matches remaining in the regular season, the Illini will have to go as close to perfect as possible in order to become Big Ten champions. Ohio State is yet to lose in conference play, and remaining unbeaten until the regular season’s close will likely see them crowned as this season’s Big Ten winners. Still, Illinois will remain competitive with positive results against Northwestern, Michigan and Michigan State. However, in taking these matches one at a time, it becomes increasingly likely that Sunday’s result against the Wildcats will either keep the Illini in the hunt to win it all or end their hopes in a flash.

Additionally, Sunday’s clash will be the final home match of the regular season for Illinois. They say home is where the heart is, and that certainly seems to be the case for the Illini, who are currently 10-1 when playing in Urbana. This advantage will be important, as Northwestern will be one of the toughest opponents Illinois have played at home this season.

Despite their success playing at Atkins, the Illini will need to come out sharp and ready against a Wildcat team who swept the Hoosiers 7-0 in their last outing. Regardless, at the end of the day Illinois will either be saying goodbye to its fans in defeat, or with one last signature home victory. Everything is set up for an exciting afternoon of Big Ten tennis.

Illinois (13-7 overall, 6-2 B1G) will finish off rivalry week against Northwestern (12-6 overall, 7-1 B1G) on Sunday at noon for one last regular season match competing at Atkins Tennis Center.

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