Week after week of top-level opponents finally came to a close for No. 45 Illinois (5-6, 0-0) last weekend. Its wins over Western Michigan (8-5) and Chicago State (0-4) were dominant. Against the Broncos, the Illini notched a staggering 7-0 victory, and their 4-0 match against the Cougars took a little over an hour (1:15). Entering Big Ten play, the Illini have benefited from competing against stiff competition while grabbing some morale-boosting wins.
Sustained excellence
Illinois has consistently been at the top of the Big Ten and earned NCAA tournament bids under head coach Evan Clark. Since narrowly missing the tournament in 2021-22, the Illini have earned back-to-back trips to the postseason and are primed for another run this year.
However, the Big Ten is as competitive as ever this season. Despite the March 4 rankings tabbing Illinois at a respectable No. 45, it is the 10th-highest Big Ten team. A pair of familiar faces in No. 4 Michigan (7-3, 0-0) and No. 7 Ohio State (8-1, 2-0) lead the pack, while newcomers like No. 21 Washington (7-1, 0-0) and No. 28 UCLA (5-3, 0-0) present a new challenge for Illinois. As it stands, 14 of 18 Big Ten schools are in the top 75.
Getting acclimated
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Although the Illini have yet to play an official conference match, they already got a look at their in-state rival earlier this season. In its meeting with No. 39 Northwestern (7-5, 0-0), Illinois took advantage of the doubles point and swept the top two singles courts. To cap things off, freshman Ariel Madatali delivered a three-set clincher, the first of her collegiate career. The ITA ranking algorithm may disagree, but the Illini showed they can spar with the Wildcats.
Illinois is also relatively familiar with one of the Big Ten’s newcomers. Last year, Illinois got ahead of the pack with a preemptive match against then-No. 29 Washington. The match started on a positive note for Illinois as it once again claimed the doubles point, but a Washington sweep in singles resulted in a 4-1 loss. Illinois has a chance to avenge the loss in a few weeks, hosting Washington on March 24.
Underclassmen contributors
Most of Illinois’ lineup consists of upperclassmen, with junior McKenna Schaefbauer, senior Megan Heuser and junior Violeta Martinez routinely occupying courts one, two and three in singles. Seniors Kida Ferrari and Kasia Treiber are also shoe-ins for singles, leaving little room for the underclassmen. Despite this, Madatali and sophomores Alice Xu and Rosie Seccia come up big when the Illini need it.
Madatali has gotten the most opportunities of the bunch, playing in 10 of Illinois’ 11 matches. The blue-chip recruit has rarely conceded points, with a record of 4-2 and four unfinished matches.
Meanwhile, Xu has stayed ready despite a decreased role compared to last year. Xu represented the Illini in 12 singles matches as a freshman and did not lose one (8-0) but has played in just two singles matches this season. However, those two moments were not without impact, as Xu delivered an efficient 6-0, 6-1 win for Illinois during its victory over No. 59 Iowa State (7-3, 1-1).
On the other hand, Seccia has already surpassed her freshman-year match total (1). Last weekend, the New York native recorded two wins that boosted Illinois to a pair of wins.
Illinois’ Big Ten journey starts with a 4 p.m. match this Friday at No. 60 Minnesota (8-6, 0-1) and continues on Sunday at No. 17 Wisconsin (8-1, 1-0).
@blountco21
