Michigan to Resume Big Ten Action in Illinois

Saturday, April 4

Champaign, Ill.

11:00 AM CT

Michigan

Illinois

Lily Jones (left) and Jessica Bernales (Michigan Photography)

4/2/2026 10:57:00 AM | Women's Tennis

By: Sarah VanMetre

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 17-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team (10-6, 7-1 Big Ten) will resume Big Ten action this weekend on the road, facing Illinois (9-8, 5-2 Big Ten) on Saturday (April 4) at 11 a.m. CT and Northwestern (11-7, 4-3 Big Ten) on Sunday (April 5) at 2 p.m. CT.

Notes

• Michigan resumes Big Ten action this weekend after facing No. 3 Ohio State in non-conference action on Wednesday (April 1) at the Varsity Tennis Center.

• U-M stayed in the top 25 of the ITA team rankings for the second straight week, coming in at No. 17.

• The Wolverines have won seven straight Big Ten matches after recording a pair of shutouts last weekend at Minnesota (March 27) and at Wisconsin (March 29).

• Michigan is one of four teams with just one conference loss as the calendar flips to April. U-M is 7-1 in Big Ten action, with Washington, Ohio State and USC checking in at 6-1. U-M has matches remaining against Illinois, Northwestern, Maryland, Rutgers and Michigan State. USC and Washington face each other this weekend, guaranteeing that one of those teams will drop from the top spot.

• The Wolverines recorded home wins against both Illinois (4-0) and Northwestern (4-2) last season at the Varsity Tennis Center. U-M has won nine straight and 13 of the last 14 against NU and holds a 44-11 all-time record against Illinois.

• Michigan is making the Illinois-Northwestern road swing for the first time since the 2022-23 season.

• U-M is 8-1 when winning the doubles point and 2-5 without it.

• Lily Jones became the first Wolverine to reach the 20-win mark in singles this year after recording a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 2 in Michigan's win over Penn (Jan. 24). She is 26-8 on the season, reaching 20 wins for the fourth straight season. She picked up the 100th win of her career during the NCAA Singles Championship and is now ninth all-time at Michigan with 111 singles wins.

• Michigan has a trio of ranked singles players in Piper Charney (No. 6) and Jones (No. 22) and Reese Miller (No. 112). Charney and Jones each earned ITA All-America honors in singles this past fall by reaching the round of 16 in the NCAA Singles Championship.

• Michigan has three players who have reached the 20-win mark on the singles court in Jones (26), Miller (23) and Emily Sartz-Lunde (22).

• Head coach Ronni Bernstein is in her 19th season as the head coach, holding a 559-202 overall coaching record. She is 391-109 as the Michigan head coach, leading Michigan to 12 Big Ten championships and six Big Ten tournament titles.

• Michigan returns to the Varsity Tennis Center next weekend, first hosting Maryland on April 11 as part of Senior Day at noon. U-M will play a doubleheader the following day (April 12), hosting Rutgers at noon and Oakland at 4 p.m. to wrap the home portion of the season.