Illinois women’s tennis enters Big Ten tournament as No. 5 seed, begins play on Thursday
Sophomore Kate Duong celebrates a point won during her doubles match with partner freshman Megan Heuser against Missouri on Feb. 13. The Illini head to the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday and will be playing against either Iowa or Michigan State.
April 27, 2022
With the 2022 regular season wrapped up, Illinois women’s tennis looks ahead to Thursday for the first major event of the offseason in the Big Ten Tournament. The tournament will take place in Iowa City, Iowa, starting with the play-in matches on Wednesday.
After a fourth place finish with an 8-3 conference record, Illinois has earned the No. 5 seed and will face the winner of Wednesday’s No. 12 Iowa vs. No. 13 Michigan State matchup on Thursday. The Illini were successful against both of these teams in the regular season.
Against Iowa, Illinois pulled out a 4-2 away victory in Iowa City, led by strong doubles and singles performances by sophomore Kate Duong and freshman Megan Heuser. Should the Hawkeyes win out on Wednesday, they will be looking to avoid a second consecutive home defeat to the Illini. Iowa finished 12th in the Big Ten this season with a 2-9 conference record and a 6-16 overall record.
Against Michigan State, Illinois achieved a 4-1 away victory in East Lansing. The Illini and the Spartans met on Sunday as the two schools closed out the regular season. Illinois were led by junior Josie Frazier and freshman Kasia Treiber in the win. Like the Hawkeyes, the Spartans will also be looking to avoid getting swept this season by the Illini, especially in the span of a few days. Michigan State finished 13th in the Big Ten this season with a 1-10 conference record and a 9-13 overall record.
The winner of the Illini’s Thursday match will then move on to take on the No. 3 Wisconsin Badgers on Friday for a 6 p.m. match.
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Illinois has proven it is a top force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten, and its potential matchups for Thursday are two teams it has beaten handily this season. However, whether it’s the Big Ten Tournament or the NCAA Championships, anything’s possible and the Illini cannot sit back. The team will have to come out with the same intensity as they have over the course of the spring if they want to go far in this year’s offseason.
It should be an exciting finish for coach Clark and his young Illini team. Illinois have done well in recovering from the loss of four senior players last season, and have only continued to improve off of last year’s 8-8 conference record.
No. 5 Illinois will take on the winner of No. 12 Iowa vs. No. 13 Michigan State in the Big Ten tournament on Thursday at 6 p.m. in Iowa City. If Illinois are victorious, the No. 3 Wisconsin Badgers await them on Friday.
@james_kim15
