Despite dropping the doubles point to start the match, the No. 13 Illinois men's tennis team topped No. 21 Louisville, 4-1, in the second round of the NCAA Championships on Saturday to advance to the Sweet 16 in College Station, Texas.
Roelofse is one of three Illini who will compete in the individual portion of the NCAA Championships on May 20-25, following the conclusion of the team competition a week before. Roelofse and Dennis Nevolo will team up in the doubles tournament, while Nevolo and Roy Kalmanovich will compete in the singles bracket.
Illinois needs a strong conference tournament showing to stay in position to host its third consecutive regional. Illinois has made a habit of having regionals at home, hosting nine in the past 10 years.
The 11th-ranked Illinois men's tennis team just can't find the consistency it wants. A weekend split didn't do the Illini (19-7, 8-2 Big Ten) any favors in getting home matches in the NCAA Championships. The Illini fell to Michigan 4-3 on Saturday but followed it with a 6-1 victory against Michigan State on Sunday.
By Jim Shay Senior Writer An eventful visit to "The Wolverine State" this weekend will close the regular season for the men's tennis team. As a Big Ten rival fights for its postseason life, a coach returns to his collegiate roots and the Illini try their best to not revisit last Sunday's home loss...By Jim Shay
Both teams were undefeated in conference play heading into Sunday, but Ohio State broke Illinois' nine match home winning streak with a 6-1 victory. The Buckeyes now are now in prime position to capture their fourth consecutive Big Ten Championship.
Following a Saturday visit from No. 61 Penn State, No. 3 Ohio State (23-1, 6-0 Big Ten) will try on Sunday to maintain its dominance against a No. 11 Illinois (17-5, 6-0) team that will have revenge on its mind.
Despite less than favorable conditions in the outdoor contest, No. 11 Illinois' rackets caught fire early and stayed hot in a 4-3 victory over visiting No. 14 Kentucky.
The No. 11 Illinois men's tennis team is ready to play in front of a home crowd again after taking three matches of a five-match roadtrip. The Illini (16-5, 6-0) will face stiff competition Wednesday in the No. 14 Kentucky Wildcats (14-7).
It may not have been the prettiest showing for the No. 12 team in the country, but the Illinois men's tennis team found a way to close its five-game road trip this weekend with a perfect Big Ten record still intact.
No. 12 Illinois will defend its perfect conference record as Iowa and Minnesota try to knock the visiting Illini of out a first-place tie with No. 5 Ohio State.
