Ducks Host Illinois, Northwestern at STC

EUGENE, Ore. – The 53^rd-ranked Oregon women's tennis team returns home to the UO Student Tennis Center for its penultimate home weekend, as the Ducks host No. 52 Illinois on Friday (2 p.m.) before a Sunday contest with No. 60 Northwestern (11 a.m.).

Oregon (10-6, 2-3) moved up 11 spots in the latest ITA rankings after a 4-2 road win at then-41st-ranked Iowa last weekend. Including this weekend, the Ducks will have faced a ranked opponent in 10 of their last 11 matches while winning four matches against the nation's top 75.

MATCH #18
No. 53 Oregon (11-6, 2-3) vs. No. 52 Illinois (8-7, 4-1)
When: Friday, March 27 | 2 p.m.
Where: UO Student Tennis Center (Eugene, Ore.)
Promotion: $100 Dave's Hot Chicken Gift Card Raffle / Oregon Tennis Hat Raffle
Live Stream (indoors only)
Live Stats

MATCH #19
No. 53 Oregon (11-6, 2-3) vs. No. 60 Northwestern (10-6, 3-2)
When: Sunday, March 29 | 11 a.m.
Where: UO Student Tennis Center (Eugene, Ore.)
Promotion: BeOregon Match
Live Stream (indoors only)
Live Stats

Through 17 dual matches, UO has compiled a 49-25 overall singles record while its doubles teams are a combined 29-11. Seven players in the Ducks' singles lineup boast winning records, including a 12-3 mark from sophomore Bridget Mihulka, an 8-4 record from junior Tilde Jagare and a 7-4 record from redshirt senior Olivia Symons.

Jagare has played every match at the top spot in the lineup and has tallied one ranked singles victory to go with a pair of ranked doubles wins along with her partner in Symons. Jagare and Symons are 11-5 this spring while going 3-1 in Big Ten play at the top spot in the lineup.

Oregon's freshman doubles duo of Hadley Appling and Virginia Crocker are a team-best 6-2 so far this spring, playing at the third position with Hinata Furutani and Juliet Santitto going 9-2. The Ducks have picked up the doubles point in 14 of 17 dual matches.

The Fighting Illini have won three straight matches, and five of their last six, after 4-1 home wins over No. 61 Purdue and No. 69 Indiana last weekend. McKenna Schaefbauer leads her team with an 8-3 dual record and is ranked 29^th in the latest ITA singles rankings. UI's doubles tandem of Alice Xu and Tess Bucher come into the weekend as the nation's 90^th-ranked doubles duo.

Northwestern is coming off back-to-back wins, also against Indiana and Purdue, have won three of its last four matches. The Wildcats suffered a close 4-3 to Illinois on March 14. NU features the country's 27^th-ranked doubles team in Margot Phanthala and Erica Jessel, while Phanthala checks in at No. 87 in the ITA singles rankings.

The Ducks are 1-3 all-time against Illinois after suffering a 4-1 loss a season ago in Champaign. Oregon and Northwestern have split two matches all-time, with the Wildcats claiming a 4-0 win in Evanston last season.

All matches at the Student Tennis Center are free and open to the public. Follow Oregon women's tennis on Twitter and Instagram (@OregonWTennis) with live results available at Oregon.statbroadcast.com.