‘We can beat anyone on any given day’: Illinois women’s tennis achieves winning season with young team – The Daily Illini

Following a combined season final 12 months that noticed the staff go 9-9 general, Illinois ladies’s tennis got here into the 2021–22 season seeking to not solely enhance upon the 12 months prior but in addition construct towards the long run with a youthful squad of gamers. The Illini’s story this season was one made up of challenges on the street and unrelenting dominance at house. So how did the whole lot play out?

Illinois kicked off the 2022 spring season in January with a break up weekend away in Las Vegas. Regardless of dropping the opening match in opposition to No. 11 Baylor by a 6-1 setback, the staff rebounded a day later to assert its first win of the 12 months in opposition to BYU by a 5-2 rating.

The Illini then returned house to Urbana for a three-game house stretch. Atkins Tennis Middle was the witness of numerous Illinois victories this 12 months, and this development started with a commanding 7-0 victory over Harvard. The victory was celebrated with followers for the primary time for the reason that COVID-19 pandemic, and junior Ashley Yeah described that, “It’s positively nice to be again after greater than a 12 months with out followers,” in an interview carried out after the match.

Illinois then capped off the quick spurt of house matches by defeating Jap Illinois by the identical 7-0 scoreline, adopted by a 4-0 victory over Chicago State.

Discovering themselves sitting with a powerful 4-1 report at this level, the Illini traveled south for the ITA Kickoff Weekend in Tallahassee, Fla. It ended up being a tough weekend as Illinois went winless, struggling defeats to No. 18 Florida State and Florida Worldwide by 4-3 and 4-2 scorelines, respectively.

The Illini shook off these losses and commenced the month of February on a powerful observe. Illinois returned to Atkins and blanked in-state rival Illinois State 7-0. The staff would sweep Missouri 4-0 per week later within the Braggin’ Rights match, adopted by a nervy 4-2 victory over Cornell to complete the month undefeated.

March opened lower than stellar for the Illini, who suffered two early losses away. The staff was unable to beat Kansas or No. 3 Oklahoma, shedding 4-0 to each. Illinois then returned house for the remainder of the month as Massive Ten convention play obtained underway. The staff break up the opening weekend, defeating Minnesota 4-1 earlier than struggling its first and solely house lack of the season to Wisconsin by a 5-2 deficit.

The Illini picked up steam in the course of the finish of March and into early April. Illinois took down Maryland 4-3 and Rutgers 7-0 earlier than touring to Iowa and Nebraska, the place it defeated each by 4-2 and 4-3 scores, respectively. After incomes a 4-2 house victory over Purdue the next week, Illinois’ successful streak got here to an finish when it was upset by a slim 4-3 rating whereas away in opposition to Penn State.

The ultimate matches of the common season noticed Illinois declare an thrilling 4-3 victory over rival Northwestern in what was not solely the staff’s closing common season match, but in addition senior day for senior Shivani Ingle. Freshman Megan Heuser was in a position to maintain her nerve and win the clinching level to present the Illini the victory over the Wildcats.

Illinois then spent the ultimate weekend in Michigan, the place it could lose 4-1 to No. 23 Michigan earlier than successful its final match 4-1 in opposition to Michigan State.

The Illini performed two matches within the postseason — each within the Massive Ten match. Illinois managed a slim 4-3 victory within the second spherical in opposition to Iowa earlier than bowing out of the competitors within the quarterfinals following a 4-1 defeat in opposition to Wisconsin. Illinois’ season ended there after not receiving an invite to the NCAA Event.

Illinois completed with a 16-9 general report, an 8-3 convention report and a fourth place end within the Massive Ten standings. For sure the staff was a lot improved from the 12 months prior, as they managed to realize the successful season they’d missed out on beforehand. All in all, there have been many vibrant spots for the Illini to look again upon from the 2021–22 marketing campaign.

For one, Illinois’ 11-1 house report was astonishing to witness. The staff’s resilience was many occasions on full show at Atkins this 12 months. Though the Illini have room to enhance in terms of taking part in on the street, the boldness they’d defending their house courts was inconceivable to query.

“We’re comfy on our courts,” stated head coach Evan Clark following the victory in opposition to Missouri. “It’s simply nice taking part in at house. We’re out right here daily, so after all we have now the home-court benefit. The women are tremendous comfy with the gang, and the whole lot sort of falls into place at house.”

Moreover, Illinois’ fourth place end within the Massive Ten was a terrific enchancment on its seventh place end the 12 months prior. The Illini remained aggressive on the prime of the standings, and their 8-3 convention report highlighted how completely different of a staff they had been from even final season, the place they went 8-8 within the Massive Ten.

“It definitely exhibits our staff that we’re on the prime,” Clark stated following the win in opposition to Northwestern. “We will beat anybody on any given day.”

The Illini had veteran gamers reminiscent of Yeah and junior Josie Frazier step up within the necessary convention matches, and sophomore Kate Duong was additionally an instrumental a part of the staff’s success. Defending Illinois’ Court docket 1 in each doubles and singles play, Duong’s victories in opposition to different faculties’ greatest gamers had been extremely very important to the staff’s Massive Ten marketing campaign this season.

Illinois noticed these three gamers adorned over the course of the season. When it comes to All-Convention awards, Duong earned All-Massive Ten honors and Frazier was the Illini’s Sportsmanship Award honoree within the Massive Ten. Throughout the run of the season, each Yeah and Duong earned Massive Ten Girls’s Tennis Athlete of the Week honors on separate events.

Concerning the way forward for this system, it was large that the three freshmen the Illini welcomed in initially of the season all turned out to be main successes. Megan Heuser, Kasia Treiber and Kida Ferrari joined the ranks and rapidly proved they had been starter-worthy very early on.

All three gamers had highlights from this 12 months, whether or not it was Heuser’s heroics in opposition to Northwestern, Treiber’s clutch capability to win the Illini essential late factors or Ferrari outscoring opponents 24-1 in the course of the doubleheader day. Illinois wanted to search out proficient gamers to fill within the gaps of the 4 graduating seniors from final 12 months’s class, and it discovered them in Heuser, Treiber and Ferrari.

Total, the 2021–22 season was a triumphant one for Illinois ladies’s tennis. With the freshman exceeding expectations, Duong holding down the highest courts for Illinois in simply her second 12 months and the juniors all persevering with to place in veteran-level performances, the staff is trying set for a really vibrant future. Whereas they missed out the NCAA Championships this 12 months, potential match appearances down the road ought to come as no shock to anybody following this proficient, younger Illini staff. This system is in nice arms as they purpose for each convention and nationwide triumphs within the years to return.

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