No. 20 Illinois (6-4) kicks off its biggest-ever conference schedule on Friday. The Big Ten added four schools to its men’s tennis conference for the 2024-25 season: Oregon (8-4), USC (6-4), UCLA (2-6) and Washington (8-2).
Duals come hard and fast in this updated conference. Starting with Nebraska (7-3) on Friday, Illinois will play 13 duals in 44 days in an intense schedule. Divided into six home and seven away duals, there is a lot of tennis to be played this spring.
Top 3
Ranked in the top 20, Illinois is the third team ranked in the top 25 from the Big Ten at present. The foes ahead of it are No. 3 Ohio State (11-2) and No. 18 Michigan (6-6). The Illini already won against the Wolverines once in nonconference play this season with a statement 5-2 win.
Ohio State
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
A deserving top-five team, Ohio State has been on a ruthless rampage this season. The Buckeyes started the season with four consecutive 4-0 sweeps. In six ranked matchups this season, they boast an enviable 4-2 record. They recently wrapped up the Wolverines with a 5-0 sweep at home.
In their 11 wins, Ohio State has not allowed its opponents more than two points. In fact, the Buckeyes have allowed two points only three times this year. Duals can come fast, but they have kept their composure throughout the season.
While they have lost four doubles matches so far, the Buckeyes didn’t concede a single doubles game in six of their doubles wins. Additionally, their 8-0 home record proves how tough of a place Columbus, Ohio, is to play for opposing teams.
Michigan
Despite its ranking, Michigan has lost five out of its last seven matchups. After starting the season 4-1, Michigan has fallen off just before conference matchups begin. Michigan has an underwhelming 2-6 record in ranked matchups this season and has been swept twice.
The Wolverines have had seven doubles losses this season. In four of them, they didn’t win a game. Their singles record has also been lacking. The only bright spot in their season is their 3-1 home record, which they aim to build upon as the conference games begin.
Newbies
The new Big Ten teams are doing fairly well this season. Washington and Oregon have perfect home records so far. Washington has been a force of nature this season, boasting seven clean sweeps out of eight wins. Similarly, Oregon has five clean sweep wins.
The other two teams, USC and UCLA, are on the struggling end of the Big Ten. Three out of USC’s four losses have been to ranked teams. The Trojans had an interesting start to the season with two sweep wins, followed by being swept and then pulling off another clean sweep. Their momentum has returned as of late, and they have won three out of their last four duals.
However, UCLA has lost its last four duals. The Bruins have lost all three of their ranked matchups this season. Moreover, they are yet to win at home. UCLA must deliver strong performances to recover from its current losing streak.
Buckeye nation
On Wednesday, Illinois took on Ohio State on Ohio’s courts and returned with a win. This was also the Illini’s first matchup of the season against a top-five team.
“It’s an out-of-conference matchup, but we understand it’s still an opportunity to beat a ranked team on the road,” said head coach Brad Dancer. “There’s not much preparation. We got back yesterday evening, and we leave tomorrow. All of our preparation revolves around tomorrow at Ohio State.”
In their fourth-ranked matchup of the season, the Illini will try to dig themselves out of a 1-4 ranked record. The tight turnaround from their last duals on Saturday will help prepare them for the fast-paced conference schedule.
Return to home
Illinois will return to the Atkins Tennis Center for its first Big Ten matchups of the season. The Illini will first face the Cornhuskers on Friday. Nebraska has had four clean sweep wins this season, losing its only ranked matchup this season.
“Here we go, right?” Dancer said. “Now, with 14 teams in the conference, the schedule is much more substantial than it has been before.”
Illinois then takes on Wisconsin (6-2) on Sunday to complete another homestand. The Illini have slowly found their combinations before the business end of the season starts. They have found a settled, more successful doubles lineup and stars in the singles lineup as well. Their fate rests on the final 13 games of the regular season.
“It’s a new challenge for us,” Dancer said. “It’s a more elongated regular season for the Big Ten, and it’s our first year going through it. It’s going to be interesting and going to be a fun challenge.”
