Northwestern University Athletics
Saturday, March 14
Urbana-Champaign, Ill.
1 p.m. CT
Northwestern
at
Illinois
'Cats Visit In-State Rival Illinois
3/13/2026 4:55:00 PM | Women's Tennis
URBANA-CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Northwestern women's tennis continues its stretch of road matches by heading to Urbana-Champaign, Ill. to face Illinois on Saturday, March 14, at 1 p.m. CT.
Last weekend, the Wildcats (8-5, 1-1 Big Ten) fell to No. 45 Iowa, 4-3, before prevailing 4-3 over Nebraska. In the match with the Cornhuskers, Northwestern secured its first comeback win of the 2026 dual season. After the 'Cats claimed the doubles point alongside junior Autumn Rabjohns's 6-1, 6-1 win at the No. 3 singles spot, Nebraska won three singles matches to take a 3-2 lead. At the No. 6 position, sophomore Erica Jessel then triumphed 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-3) to even the match at three apiece before sophomore Mika Dagan Fruchtman clinched the match for Northwestern at the No. 5 spot with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 result.
First-year Margot Phanthala, who has played all of her matches at the No. 1 singles position this season, is ranked as the ITA's No. 69 singles player in the country, the 14th-ranked player in the Big Ten. She is the highest-ranked Northwestern player since Feb. 21, 2023, when Christina Hand was ranked No. 65. Additionally, she is the second-highest ranked first-year in the conference and the 10th-highest ranked first-year nationally. She is the highest-ranked Wildcat first-year since March 30, 2021, when Maria Shusharina was ranked No. 65.
Phanthala and Jessel are ranked as the No. 87 doubles pairing in the nation, the 17th-ranked team in the Big Ten. They are 5-1 on the season together, including going 2-0 at the No. 1 slot this past weekend. Their five wins are the most among any of the team's doubles pairings. Dagan Fructhman and junior Neena Feldman also crack the ITA's doubles rankings, slotting in as the No. 77 team in the nation.
Rabjohns is 9-2 on the season, with her lone losses coming to nationally-ranked players. She has already surpassed her total wins from last season (8-5).
First-year Marelie Raath leads the team in wins with 16, having seven singles wins alongside a 9-3 doubles record. Her nine doubles wins lead the team. Raath's seven singles wins are the most by a Northwestern first-year since Sydney Pratt had 12 in the 2022 dual season.
Dagan Fruchtman ranks second on the team with eight singles wins (8-4), playing primarily in the bottom third of the singles lineup.
The Wildcats lead the all-time series against the Fighting Illini (5-7, 1-1 Big Ten), 49-14, but have not registered a win over Illinois since Feb. 21, 2021 — a 6-1 win. Northwestern last defeated the Fighting Illini in Urbana-Champaign on March 2, 2018, a 4-3 result.
Illinois is coming off a weekend in which it swept Nebraska, 4-0, and fell to Iowa, 4-3. The Fighting Illini are led by the ITA's No. 34 singles player, McKenna Schaefbauer, who has a 7-3 record this season, with all of her matches coming at the No. 1 singles spot. Illinois boasts the No. 87 doubles team in the nation with Alice Xu and Tess Bucher, who have played all of their matches at No. 1 doubles.
The Wildcats play their first Big Ten matches at home next weekend, when they host Indiana on Saturday, March 21, at noon CT and Purdue on Sunday, March 22, at 3 p.m. CT.
Last weekend, the Wildcats (8-5, 1-1 Big Ten) fell to No. 45 Iowa, 4-3, before prevailing 4-3 over Nebraska. In the match with the Cornhuskers, Northwestern secured its first comeback win of the 2026 dual season. After the 'Cats claimed the doubles point alongside junior Autumn Rabjohns's 6-1, 6-1 win at the No. 3 singles spot, Nebraska won three singles matches to take a 3-2 lead. At the No. 6 position, sophomore Erica Jessel then triumphed 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-3) to even the match at three apiece before sophomore Mika Dagan Fruchtman clinched the match for Northwestern at the No. 5 spot with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 result.
First-year Margot Phanthala, who has played all of her matches at the No. 1 singles position this season, is ranked as the ITA's No. 69 singles player in the country, the 14th-ranked player in the Big Ten. She is the highest-ranked Northwestern player since Feb. 21, 2023, when Christina Hand was ranked No. 65. Additionally, she is the second-highest ranked first-year in the conference and the 10th-highest ranked first-year nationally. She is the highest-ranked Wildcat first-year since March 30, 2021, when Maria Shusharina was ranked No. 65.
Phanthala and Jessel are ranked as the No. 87 doubles pairing in the nation, the 17th-ranked team in the Big Ten. They are 5-1 on the season together, including going 2-0 at the No. 1 slot this past weekend. Their five wins are the most among any of the team's doubles pairings. Dagan Fructhman and junior Neena Feldman also crack the ITA's doubles rankings, slotting in as the No. 77 team in the nation.
Rabjohns is 9-2 on the season, with her lone losses coming to nationally-ranked players. She has already surpassed her total wins from last season (8-5).
First-year Marelie Raath leads the team in wins with 16, having seven singles wins alongside a 9-3 doubles record. Her nine doubles wins lead the team. Raath's seven singles wins are the most by a Northwestern first-year since Sydney Pratt had 12 in the 2022 dual season.
Dagan Fruchtman ranks second on the team with eight singles wins (8-4), playing primarily in the bottom third of the singles lineup.
The Wildcats lead the all-time series against the Fighting Illini (5-7, 1-1 Big Ten), 49-14, but have not registered a win over Illinois since Feb. 21, 2021 — a 6-1 win. Northwestern last defeated the Fighting Illini in Urbana-Champaign on March 2, 2018, a 4-3 result.
Illinois is coming off a weekend in which it swept Nebraska, 4-0, and fell to Iowa, 4-3. The Fighting Illini are led by the ITA's No. 34 singles player, McKenna Schaefbauer, who has a 7-3 record this season, with all of her matches coming at the No. 1 singles spot. Illinois boasts the No. 87 doubles team in the nation with Alice Xu and Tess Bucher, who have played all of their matches at No. 1 doubles.
The Wildcats play their first Big Ten matches at home next weekend, when they host Indiana on Saturday, March 21, at noon CT and Purdue on Sunday, March 22, at 3 p.m. CT.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
David G. Kabiller NU for Life Program - 2025 Video
Tuesday, August 19
This is Northwestern Athletics | 2024-25 Recap
Tuesday, August 19
Northwestern Tennis | New Locker Room Virtual Tour
Wednesday, October 11
Georgia Rose Full Speech | 2022 Northwestern Athletics Hall of Fame Induction
Monday, September 19
