U NIVERSITY OF I LLINOIS 2021 WOMEN’S TENNIS TABLE OF CONTENTS 2021 Roster, Schedule, Pronunciation Guide 2 Head Coach Evan Clark 3-4 Assistant Coach German Dalmagro 5 Support Staff 6 2020-2021 Fighting Illini 7 Senior Sasha Belaya 8 Senior Emilee Duong9 Senior Asuka Kawai9 Senior Mia Rabinowitz10 Junior Shivani Ingle10 Sophomore Emily Casati 11 Sophomore Josie Frazier 11 Sophomore Ashley Yeah12 Freshman Kate Duong12 FIGHTING ILLINI QUICK FACTS 2020 Big Ten / ITA Review13 UNIVERSITY TENNIS OFFICE NCAA Team Results, Singles & Doubles Results 14-15 Location Urbana-Champaign Atkins Tennis. .Kathy Hug Coaching Records, All-Time Series Records 16 Enrollment 44,942 Tennis Office Phone. .217-244-6471 Singles, Doubles Records, Regional, National Honors17 Nickname ��������������������������������������������� Fighting Illini Tennis Office Fax. 217-244-5112 Home Court Records, Team Records, Big Ten Honors 18 Colors ����������������������������������������������Orange and Blue University, Team Awards, Team, Academic Awards19-20 Conference Big Ten 2019-20* President Timothy Killeen 2019-20 Record* ...................... 5-9 All-Time Results . .21-29 Chancellor ������������������������������������������� Robert J Jones Record at Home/Away/Neutral ...... 4-3/1-3/0-3 All-Time Letterwinners . .30 Athletic Director Josh Whitman Big Ten Record/Finish*. .............. 1-0/N/A Home Facility ............. Atkins Tennis Center Big Ten Tournament*. N/A The 2020-21 Illinois women’s tennis record book is a publication of the Final ITA National Ranking* .............. N/A Athletics Communication Office, written to assist the media in their coverage COACHING STAFF Letterwinners Returning/Lost. .8/0 of Illinois athletics. Head Coach ...................... Evan Clark Newcomers. 2 Alma Mater ..................... UMKC, 2006 Record at Illinois (Years) ........... 81-58 (6) HISTORY Overall Record (Years) ............. 112-69 (8) First Year of Women’s Tennis. 1975 Big Ten Record (Years) .............. 42-22 (5) Years in NCAA Tournament/Last. 13/2019 * Season cut short due to COVID-19 Assistant Coach. German Dalmagro Alma Mater ............... West Florida, 2005 ATHLETICS COMMUNICATION Women’s Tennis Contact Brendan Ross Email brross2@illinoisedu Cell Phone 630-313-0584 Sports Information Director Kent Brown Assistant Directors . Derrick Burson, Libby Knight, Danny Mattie, Brett Moore Interns ...................... Sam Anderson, Matt Haufe, John Peterson Office Manager . .Jennifer Fisher Creative ServicesAdam Marantz, Paige Apkarian, Mike Glasgow Athletics Communication Phone (217) 333-1391 Websites FightingIllinicom Twitter wwwtwittercom/IlliniWTennis Facebook wwwfacebookcom/Illiniwtennis Instagram wwwinstagramcom/IlliniWTennis Mailing Address Athletics Communication 1700 S Fourth Street Champaign, IL 61820 2020-21 ILLINOIS WOMEN’S TENNIS // 1 2020-21 FIGHTING ILLINI ROSTER | SCHEDULE ILLINOIS SCHEDULE DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME (CT)/Results January 29-31 Purdue Invitational West Lafayette, Ind NTS February 5 Indiana Urbana, Ill. NTS February 7 Purdue Urbana, Ill. NTS February 12 Iowa* Iowa City, Iowa L 2-4 February 14 Nebraska* Lincoln, Neb L 2-5 February 21 Northwestern* Evantson, Ill L 1-6 February 26 Wisconsin* Urbana, Ill. L 3-4 February 28 Minnesota* Urbana, Ill. W 4-3 March 6 Michigan* Ann Arbor, Mich L 0-4 March 7 Michigan State* East Lansing, Mich W 4-2 March 13 Iowa* Urbana, Ill. W, 4-3 March 14 Nebraska* Urbana, Ill. L, 3-4 March 20 Indiana* Urbana, Ill. W, 7-0 March 21 Purdue* Urbana, Ill. W, 4-3 March 26 Wisconsin* Madison, Wis L, 3-4 March 28 Minnesota* Minneapolis, Minn W, 4-3 April 9 Michigan State* Urbana, Ill. L, 4-3 April 11 Purdue* West Lafayette, Ind W, 4-1 April 18 Northwestern* Urbana, Ill. W, 4-3 April 29 Big Ten Tournament Purdue Madison, Wisc. W, 4-3 April 30 Big Ten Tournament Michigan Madison, Wisc. L, 4-0 All home matches are in bold and held at Atkins / Khan Tennis Center depending on weather *Big Ten Opponent ILLINOIS ROSTER NAME YR. HOMETOWN | HIGH SCHOOL Alexandra 'Sasha' Belaya Sr Melbourne, Fla | Viera HS Emily Casati So Deerfield, Ill | Deerfield HS Kate Duong Fr Cupertino, Calif | Cupertino HS Emilee Duong Sr Palcentia, Calif | Valencia HS Josie Frazier So Scottsdale, Ariz | Desert Mountain HS Shivani Ingle Jr Pune, India | St Anne's HS Asuka Kawai Sr Palatine, Ill | Palatine HS Mia Rabinowitz Sr Tenafly, NJ | Laurel Springs Ashley Yeah So Los Gatos, Calif | Los Gatos HS Head Coach: Evan Clark (Sixth Season) Assistant Coach: German Dalmagro (Third Season) PRONUNCIATION GUIDE Asuka Kawai .......................... Os-ka 2020-21 ILLINOIS WOMEN’S TENNIS // 2 EVAN CLARK HEAD COACH - SIXTH SEASON On June 10, 2016, Illinois THE CLARK FILE Director of Athletics Josh Whitman named Evan Clark PERSONAL Born: Jan 4, 1984 the head coach of the Illinois Hometown: Liberty, Mo women's tennis team Clark Hired: December 1, 2014 served as the program's interim coach throughout the 2015-16 EDUCATION season and had been with the UMKC, 2004 Fighting Illini since December 2014 in an assistant role Clark COACHING EXPERIENCE 2015- Present: Head Women’s Coach, University of Illinois marks the eighth head coach in 2014-2015: Assistant Women’s Coach, University of Illinois Illinois women's tennis program 2012-14: Head Women’s Coach, UNC Wilmington history 2010-12: Assistant Men’s Coach, University of Maryland 2008-10: Assistant Women’s Coach, Penn State University "I am extremely grateful to 2007-08: Director of Junior Development, USTA Missouri Valley Section Josh Whitman and the search 2005-06: Assistant Women’s Coach, UMKC committee chair Ryan Squire for allowing me this opportunity and trusting me to lead the Fighting PLAYING EXPERIENCE Illini women's tennis program moving forward," Clark said "We 2002-04: UMKC will continue to work hard to develop our student-athletes on the 2004-05: Arkansas court, in the classroom and in all aspects of their lives We all understand that Illinois is a very special place and I am excited PLAYING ACCOLADES to build a program here of which everyone can be proud I look 2002 Missouri High School 4A State Singles Champion (31-0) forward to taking the progress that was made last year and Kansas City Star “Male Athlete of the Year” First-team All-Mid Continent Conference - 2002-03 building the program into a national contender annually" Team captain UMKC 2002-04 Under Clark, Illinois has emerged as one of the premier programs in the Big Ten, having finished third, fourth, tied for fourth and Gray Inviational and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Round of tied for third in the conference in the last four years, respectively 32 During the 2019-20 season, the Illini compiled a 5-9 overall In addition to team success, junior Jaclyn Switkes earned First- record, including a 1-0 record in Big Ten play before the season Team All-Big Ten honors, while Clark was named ITA Midwest was shortened due to COVID-19 Clark earned his 100th career win after the Orange and Blue defeated Eastern Illinois, 4-0 In the 2018-19 season, the team posted a 16-12 overall record, earning three wins over top-20 programs and seven wins over top- 50 opponents The Illini advanced to the Big Ten Tournament Finals for the first time since 2001 and made the NCAA Tournament for a consecutive year for the first time in program history Sophomore Asuka Kawai became the fourth Illini in program history, and first under Clark, to earn All-America honors, while Clark was named ITA Midwest Regional Coach of the Year for the second-straight year Kawai was the first individual since 2005 to qualify for the NCAA Singles Tournament, having reached the Quarterfinals, making it best finish in program history The 2017-18 season was one for the record books for the Illini, as the team tied for the most wins in a single season in program history (22) and earned its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2012 Other accolades included the highest ITA Team Ranking (No 5) in program history, as well as 12 weeks in the top 25, 11 of those 12 in the top 15 and four weeks in the top 10 The Illini also got off to the best start in school history, accumulating a record of 19-3, earned five wins of top-25 opponents, earned a title at the Blue 2020-21 ILLINOIS WOMEN’S TENNIS // 3 Regional Coach of the Year, as well as Big Ten Coach of the Year, just the second such award for an Illinois coach in program history and first since 1987 Following the 2017-18 campaign, Clark and Illinois agreed to a five-year contract extension, as announced by Whitman "Evan has exceeded all expectations during his first years leading our program," Whitman said "He has attracted some of the nation's top tennis talent to our campus, and he has developed them into exceptional players Most importantly, he has created a positive culture within the program that has the team competing hard, supporting each other, and striving for excellence in all facets of their Illinois experience We are grateful to Evan for his loyalty and are excited to keep him leading the Orange and Blue for many years to come We look forward to supporting him and his student-athletes as they continue to push Illinois women's tennis to the forefront" Illinois posted a 14-13 mark during the 2016-17 season, including a 7-4 record in Big Ten play Louise Kwong garnered All-Big Ten honors, and was one of five Fighting Illini to be named Academic All-Big Ten During the 2015-16 campaign, Clark oversaw