This is where Illinois can make a name for itself.
It all starts with a crucial rematch against a familiar foe Friday with No. 9 TCU.
In last year’s Sweet Sixteen matchup, Illinois put up a fight, but in the end succumbed to a better team in singles competition. This year, however, the roles are reversed a bit.
Illinois comes in with the better record and the higher national and tournament seed. The experience of last year seemingly paid off for the Illini, as players such as Zeke Clark made huge strides from freshman to sophomore seasons and Aleks Vukic continued his brilliance and turned Illinois into a national contender.