No. 23 Illinois (12-6, 5-2) continued its winning ways with a 2-0 weekend.
In a Saturday doubleheader, Illinois first took on Northwestern (11-11, 3-4) in an outdoor afternoon dual. The Illini improved to 5-2 in conference play with the win and are now fifth in the Big Ten.
Illinois then took on Chicago State (1-7, 0-4) to end the night. The Illini earned another sweep against the Cougars with a second consecutive 4-0 win.
The Illini have now won six of their last eight games.
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The Illini laced up in Wildcat territory for an outdoor dual on Saturday afternoon. Despite cold and windy weather, they persevered.
“They were tough conditions,” said head coach Brad Dancer. “I think our guys did a great job of being resilient and tough in those conditions. We could’ve had that go the other way against us, so [I’m] really proud of the guys for the way they fought up there, that was great. We’re fighting hard, we’re fighting really hard, and that’s what we got to be pleased about.”
Doubles play has been the main story as of late. The Illini started the season 1-5 in doubles, but have gone 9-3 since. Lineup changes and new partnerships have sustained this newfound hot streak.
The doubles success continued during this doubleheader as Illinois took the point in both duals. Senior Mathis Debru and freshman Max Mroz battled hard on court three, winning a tight tiebreaker to seal the point.
In his first dual doubles appearance of the season, redshirt junior Gabrielius Guzauskas teamed up with redshirt sophomore Tyler Bowers for a hammering 6-0 win on court two. That statement win quickly prompted a Chicago State (1-7) forfeit on court three to seal an easy point for Illinois.
Miyoshi masterclass
Junior Kenta Miyoshi, the reigning Big Ten player of the week and the nation’s No. 16 ranked singles player, continued his dominant junior year this weekend. Facing Northwestern graduate Saiprakash Goli, Miyoshi recovered from an early 1-3 deficit in the first set by rattling off wins in five consecutive games to secure the set. He then dominated the second set en route to a 6-3, 6-2 win to claim his team-high 11th singles win in dual play.
Coach Dancer said Miyoshi’s shift in approach made the difference.
“Kenta did a great job,” Dancer said. “Maybe a little bit of loss of clarity in what he was doing, and I think he needed that clarity to win. He went from trying to win points from the baseline to winning points at the net, and that’s going to be the theme of our whole team, not just Kenta. Making sure we’re winning the points where we can at the right moments.”
Miyoshi followed up his performance by gaining a 5-2 lead vs Chicago State’s freshman Chad Valdes prior to the match being called unfinished.
Mroz brothers shine
Redshirt junior William Mroz improved to 11-4 in dual doubles play this season after his win against Northwestern. He boasts the team’s best doubles record (16-7) this season, and third-best singles record (20-7).
Mroz has seen a massive leap from his sophomore year. He went 1-2 in dual doubles and 7-7 in dual singles in 2023-24. Mroz has also shown his versatility, claiming wins with three different doubles partners this season.
He is joined by his energetic brother — Max Mroz — who has been a key in several duals this year. In his first season, the younger Mroz is 2-2 in dual doubles play and 1-1 in dual singles play.
Max Mroz built on his impressive start with a vital doubles win against Northwestern and a straight-set singles win against Chicago State.
Chicago State shutout
Illinois earned its most comprehensive win of the season against Chicago State. After Max Mroz’s straight-set singles victory on court four, courts five and six forfeited to give Illinois the easy win.
When the match ended, the Illini were leading on courts one, two and three. The quick and commanding victory gives Illinois tons of momentum heading into the final stretch of the Big Ten season.
Michigan road trip up next
Illinois takes a trip to Michigan next weekend for a Friday contest in Ann Arbor against Michigan (12-8, 6-2) before a trip to Lansing on Sunday for a match against Michigan State (11-7, 6-2). Illinois will look to repeat its Feb. 22 victory over Michigan.
“We know Michigan,” said coach Dancer. “We played Michigan without their All-American, Gavin Young, earlier this season, so we recognize that’s a big change for them as well. I’m sure their guys are playing better, I’m sure we’re playing better. They have a lot of good players and coaches, so it’s going to be a great challenge.”
With Michigan State in third at 6-2, Michigan in fourth at 6-2, and Illinois in fifth at 5-2, the road trip presents a crucial opportunity for Illinois to climb the Big Ten standings as the season wraps up.
