University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, March 7
Minneapolis, MN
4:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Illinois
Players Mentioned
Photo by: Christopher Mitchell
No. 60 Minnesota Set for Big Ten Showdowns Against Illinois and Northwestern
3/6/2025 2:18:00 PM | Tennis
MINNEAPOLIS - The No. 60-ranked University of Minnesota tennis team continues its 2025 Big Ten schedule this weekend at Baseline Tennis Center.
The Gophers will host No. 45 Illinois (5-6) on Friday, March 7, at 4 p.m. CT, followed by a matchup against No. 39 Northwestern (7-5) on Sunday, March 9, at 12 p.m.
The Season So Far
Minnesota opened its season in Florida on Jan. 18, going 1-2 with a season-opening win against Middle Tennessee State before falling to Florida Gulf Coast and Florida Atlantic.
The Gophers responded with a five-match win streak, defeating Air Force, Iowa State, Missouri, Colorado State, and St. Thomas. Mia Liepert led the way for Minnesota going 5-0 in singles matches during the win streak.
Minnesota then traveled to Alabama on Feb. 15-16, dropping three matches to East Tennessee State, UAB, and Alabama.
The Maroon and Gold went 2-1 this past weekend, falling to No. 17 Wisconsin but defeating North Dakota and Boise State. Aiva Schmitz, Arina Valitova and Sofia Pinto led the way, each going 2-0 in singles and doubles.
Scouting Illinois
Scouting Northwestern
Junior Aiva Schmitz leads the team with 13 singles wins this season, having competed in the No. 1 spot for most of the year. She has won three of her last four matches, including notable victories over Alabama and Boise State.
Schmitz has also won three of her last five matches with doubles partner Arina Valitova in the No. 3 spot, with victories over Boise State, North Dakota and UAB.
Pinto Power
Junior Sofia Pinto is tied for the team lead with 13 singles wins this season, having competed in the No. 1 spot for most of the year. She has won six of her last eight matches, including notable victories over East Tennessee State and Boise State.
Remaining in the Ranks
The Gophers are ranked No. 60 in this week's ITA Top 75 tennis rankings, marking their third consecutive week in the rankings.
Minnesota has faced six ranked opponents this season: No. 17 Wisconsin, No. 18 Alabama, No. 27 Florida Atlantic, No. 59 Iowa State, No. 68 East Tennessee State, and No. 63 Florida Gulf Coast. The Gophers earned a notable 4-3 victory over Iowa State on Feb. 2.
Kids Weekend
Minnesota will host Kids Weekend, with a poster and bracelet-making station available during Sunday's match. A USTA clinic will follow the matches on Sunday.
How to Follow
Fans can follow the weekend's events on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
The University of Minnesota is scheduled to livestream each match at this link. Fans can also follow the live scoring of each match.
Next On The Docket
The Golden Gophers will travel to Iowa on March 21, then Nebraska on March 23.
The Gophers will host No. 45 Illinois (5-6) on Friday, March 7, at 4 p.m. CT, followed by a matchup against No. 39 Northwestern (7-5) on Sunday, March 9, at 12 p.m.
The Season So Far
Minnesota opened its season in Florida on Jan. 18, going 1-2 with a season-opening win against Middle Tennessee State before falling to Florida Gulf Coast and Florida Atlantic.
The Gophers responded with a five-match win streak, defeating Air Force, Iowa State, Missouri, Colorado State, and St. Thomas. Mia Liepert led the way for Minnesota going 5-0 in singles matches during the win streak.
Minnesota then traveled to Alabama on Feb. 15-16, dropping three matches to East Tennessee State, UAB, and Alabama.
The Maroon and Gold went 2-1 this past weekend, falling to No. 17 Wisconsin but defeating North Dakota and Boise State. Aiva Schmitz, Arina Valitova and Sofia Pinto led the way, each going 2-0 in singles and doubles.
Scouting Illinois
- Minnesota and Illinois have met 33 times since 1991. The Illini have won the last 10 matchups, including a 4-0 victory in their most recent meeting on April 5, 2024. Minnesota last defeated Illinois on April 26, 2007, with a 4-0 win.
- The Illini are led by Violeta Martinez, who is ranked No. 114 in singles. She holds a 9-4 singles record with notable wins over Michigan, UCLA, and Baylor.
- Illinois hosted the ITA Team Indoors Championship, facing No. 2 Texas A&M, No. 3 Oklahoma State and No. 6 UCLA, one of the toughest schedules in the country.
- Illinois earned its first win of the season on Jan. 25, defeating Northwestern 4-2.
Scouting Northwestern
- Minnesota and Northwestern have met 32 times since 1991. The Wildcats have won 6 of the last 7 matchups, including a 7-0 victory in their most recent meeting on April 7, 2024. Minnesota last defeated Illinois on April 12, 2019, with a 4-3 win.
- The Wildcats enter the weekend with a 7-5 record, including notable wins over Kansas and Georgia Tech.
- Northwestern has faced seven ranked opponents, including four in the ITA top 25 (Georgia, Vanderbilt, Pepperdine and Georgia Tech).
- Northwestern's Neena Feldman was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Feb. 26 after delivering the match point in the Wildcats' upset of No. 30 Kansas.
Junior Aiva Schmitz leads the team with 13 singles wins this season, having competed in the No. 1 spot for most of the year. She has won three of her last four matches, including notable victories over Alabama and Boise State.
Schmitz has also won three of her last five matches with doubles partner Arina Valitova in the No. 3 spot, with victories over Boise State, North Dakota and UAB.
Pinto Power
Junior Sofia Pinto is tied for the team lead with 13 singles wins this season, having competed in the No. 1 spot for most of the year. She has won six of her last eight matches, including notable victories over East Tennessee State and Boise State.
Remaining in the Ranks
The Gophers are ranked No. 60 in this week's ITA Top 75 tennis rankings, marking their third consecutive week in the rankings.
Minnesota has faced six ranked opponents this season: No. 17 Wisconsin, No. 18 Alabama, No. 27 Florida Atlantic, No. 59 Iowa State, No. 68 East Tennessee State, and No. 63 Florida Gulf Coast. The Gophers earned a notable 4-3 victory over Iowa State on Feb. 2.
Kids Weekend
Minnesota will host Kids Weekend, with a poster and bracelet-making station available during Sunday's match. A USTA clinic will follow the matches on Sunday.
How to Follow
Fans can follow the weekend's events on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
The University of Minnesota is scheduled to livestream each match at this link. Fans can also follow the live scoring of each match.
Next On The Docket
The Golden Gophers will travel to Iowa on March 21, then Nebraska on March 23.
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