Illinois State University’s women’s tennis team will play against the No. 12 seed Michigan in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Women’s Tennis Championship, according to an April 27 announcement. The match is scheduled for Saturday at the Varsity Tennis Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The Redbirds, who have a record of 18-6 this season, secured their place in the tournament after winning the Missouri Valley Conference championship with a shutout victory over Drake last weekend in Chicago. This marks Illinois State’s sixth appearance in the NCAA Tournament, with their most recent participation occurring in 2022 when they played against Ohio State.
Michigan enters the tournament following a strong season, having won both Big Ten titles and finishing with a conference record of 12-1. The Wolverines recently defeated No. 5 Ohio State during the Big Ten Tournament held in Columbus. Florida and Toledo will also compete at Ann Arbor as part of this regional bracket.
According to the official website, Illinois State Redbirds benefits from resources such as the Redbird Athletics Excellence Fund which supports competitiveness and recruitment according to the official website. The athletics program is linked to Illinois State University according to the official website and competes across various regions at NCAA Division I events according to the official website. Student-athletes prepare using facilities like OSF HealthCare Athletics Training Center according to the official website.
The Illinois State Redbirds also provide news, schedules, rosters and fan resources through their online platforms according to the official website. In addition, other teams such as men’s basketball have demonstrated success recently; for example, posting an eight-win start out of ten games earlier this year according to the official website.
Admission for fans is free at Varsity Tennis Center for these matches.
