The Illinois women’s tennis team found welcoming beaches and high temperatures when they arrived in Maui for the annual Hawaii exhibition tournament.

The opponents they faced were not nearly as welcoming.

This was the first trip for the team as a whole, and the Illini finished 11-20 in individual play this weekend in their final tune-up before hidden dual play begins. The tournament was an exhibition and results do not affect regular season records.

No. 4 Georgia, No. 29 Oklahoma State, and Hawaii-Pacific were the Illini’s opponents this weekend, and they showed that this season is going to be an interesting one for an Illini program that is fighting for national relevance.

The Illini waited out a rain delay Thursday, and afterward went 0-9 against No. 4 Georgia, a perennial women’s tennis powerhouse.

Friday, both the weather and the Illini’s play improved, as they went 8-4 against Hawaii-Pacific, who traveled just one island over for the tournament.

The doubles team of All-American Junior Melissa Kopinski and Freshman Alexis Casati won their doubles match 6-3 as well as picking up wins in each of their singles matches against the Sea Warriors.

Then on Sunday, the tide turned back against the Illini, and they finished 3-7 against No. 29 Oklahoma State. Casati, Senior Allison Falkin, and Junior Julia Jamieson collected the Illini’s three wins in their respective singles matches. Illinois dropped a 4-3 nail-biter to the Cowboys in San Diego last season

Casati turned in the best performance of the weekend for the Illini, finishing 2-1 in doubles and along with Kopinski, produced the biggest doubles win of the weekend for the team.

All of the matches were played outdoors in temperatures above 70 degrees, which is in stark contrast to the indoor matches the Illini will be playing, both home and away, well into March.

The Illini’s home opener is a Jan. 24 double-header versus St. Louis and Chicago.

The Billikens and the Maroons are rare nonconference opponents for the Illini, who have not faced either team in spring play in more than a decade.

The Illini will then face traditional early-season opponents UIC and Illinois State in a second straight home double-header on Jan 26. In the last decade, the Orange and Blue have not dropped a match to either in-state rival.

The Illini look to get off to a better start this season than they did last year, where they were swept in their season opener at Miami.

Peter can be reached at [email protected] Follow him on Twitter @pbaileywells22.