The following post was written by staff writer Alex Iniguez.

Today, I’m digging deeper into Illinois men’s tennis’ woes at the No. 3 doubles spot.

Head coach Brad Dancer has tried out four different combinations at the position, which has been a troublesome spot in the Illini attack all season.

Here are the four combinations used at the No. 3 spot and their records:

Waylon Chin/Marc Spicijaric (5-4)

Connor Roth/Abe Souza (1-1)

Marc Spicijaric/Connor Roth (3-2)

Brandon Davis/Waylon Chin (6-1, led 5-4 in only unfinished match)

Overall Record: 14-8

In contrast, the No. 1 and No. 2 spots have a 35-11 record combined.

After the team’s loss at Wisconsin, Dancer speculated that his team may not be good enough to recover and win a match after losing the doubles point. I’d have to agree with him from what I’ve seen up to this point. Illinois’ record when losing the doubles point is 0-5. When winning the doubles point, the Illini are 16-2.

Before teaming with Chin, Davis played primarily at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles with Gonzales. The duo had plenty of triumphs, but Davis seems better fit to provide some crucial senior leadership to the No. 3 spot. Dancer recognizes the fact that he kept Davis paired with Gonzales for too long.

So has the newfound success at No. 3 doubles translated to team victories?

Since pairing Davis with Chin, the Orange and Blue have only dropped one match – a 5-2 loss to No. 2 Ohio State. In that time, Illinois defeated four top-50 teams – No. 41 Kentucky, No. 40 Penn State, No. 37 Indiana and No. 17 Michigan.

“It’s a pretty good combination because he hits pretty good returns and has a decent serve, so I’m able to use my strengths at the net,” Davis said. “I’ve been playing solid return games, and we’ve just been meshing lately.”

Dancer may have found the right combination to fill the No. 3 doubles spot. Sure, if Chin and Davis were paired earlier, some outcomes might have been different, but it seems the Illini are getting solid play at the No. 3 spot when it matters most.

Chin and Davis have solidified the spot, and the tandem could be just what this Illinois team needs. If Davis and Chin can keep up their impressive play, the Illini could not only be looking at a strong showing in the Big Ten Championships, but also at another deep NCAA Tournament run.

“Brandon’s skill and ability to dominate the doubles court is maybe unparalleled in college tennis,” Dancer said. “We need to find the right person to complement Brandon, but Waylon’s done a pretty good job at it so far.”

The following post was written by staff writer Kyle Diller.

The women golfers have been fantastic this spring having placed in the top five in four of their five tournament appearances. In two of those top-five finishes the Illini took top honors, including the Illini Classic. The team has really hit good form in this spring season and the majority of their success comes from experience and a strong team bond.

In the current team make-up, four members of the six-woman team are seniors. The seniors have provided the team not only with experience, but with strong leadership. They have pass down their knowledge to the younger golfers and help them as they look to improve their game for future seasons. Having been together four years the bond is probably strong and I’m sure the rest of the team has been brought into that. These factors have been key in the helping the team reach the success that it has had this season.

With the Big Ten Tournament and NCAA Regionals coming up and being such competitive tournaments this success has come at the perfect time. The team struggled this past weekend at the Lady Buckeye Invitational, but with the success they’ve been having they could bounce back and continue with their success in this weekend’s Big Ten tournament. With this weekend’s Big Ten Tournament being the last in the seniors’ regular season career, there is no doubt the team will want to end on the highest note.

This post was written by staff writer Bret Greenberg.

A year ago the Illini were struggling to put a full lineup out on the court because of injuries. This year, knock on wood, they have not only stayed relatively healthy, but they have proven they can be a force in the Big Ten. Last year, in head coach Michelle Dasso’s first year at the helm, the team went 5-17, winning only one conference match. This had a lot to do with the team playing hurt, sometimes to the point of forfeiting certain courts because they couldn’t field a full lineup.

This year the Illini are 11-9, 7-3. Part of this turnaround was sparked by the play of redshirt freshman Leigh Finnegan. She was forced to redshirt last season when she fractured a bone in her foot. This year she has come back strong, playing on court two singles and doubles. She even made the Illini of the Week honorable mention this week for defeating Iowa’s Milica Veselinovic, who hadn’t lost a singles match in the Big Ten all season.

Recently, the team has had a couple bumps and bruises, but nothing too serious. Sophomore Megan Fudge’s back and Kristina Minor’s ankle were dinged up, but they say it’s nothing. Fudge has been receiving some treatment for the back and Minor wears an ankle brace, and it seems neither of them has slowed down a bit in their matches. Don’t worry, these girls are warriors.