Rutgers
Minnesota
Tennis to Host Minnesota and No. 22 Wisconsin in B1G Home Opener
Mar 20 | Women's Tennis
PISCATAWAY, N.J. ā The Rutgers women's tennis teamĀ (7-6, 0-3 B1G)Ā willĀ host its first Big Ten matches of the season, welcoming MinnesotaĀ (10-8, 0-4 B1G)Ā on Saturday, AprilĀ 21Ā and No. 22 WisconsinĀ (10-3, 3-1 B1G)Ā Sunday, April 22. Both matches will start at 12 p.m.Ā Ā
Live streaming and live stats will be available forĀ bothĀ matches.Ā Ā
Last Time OutĀ Ā
The ScarletĀ Knights defeatedĀ CornellĀ (6-6,Ā 0-0 IVY), 4-0, Monday morning.Ā Ā Ā
The winĀ isĀ the first against an Ivy League team at home sinceĀ Feb. 15,Ā 2020,Ā when the team beat Penn,Ā 4-3. The Scarlet Knights last Ivy League win came against Cornell onĀ Feb. 17,Ā 2024,Ā 4-3.Ā Ā Ā
RU gotĀ the doubles point before securing the match victory with singles wins fromĀ Zuzanna Frankowska,Ā Zeynep Ilker and Savannah Cohen.Ā Ā
The point that clinched the first home Ivy League win for RU since 2020 šŖ#GoRU | #RTennis pic.twitter.com/a5gw5LShxX
— Rutgers Tennis (@RutgersTennis) March 16, 2026
New Kids on the BanksĀ Ā
In the offseason, head coachĀ Hilary RitchieĀ welcomed three newcomers to the team, includingĀ freshmenĀ Miranda Case,Ā Savannah Cohen, andĀ Stella Schmitz.Ā Ā
Case hails from Haddonfield, New Jersey, and attended Haddonfield Memorial High School.Ā PreviousĀ career highlights include 2022 L5 Open G16s doubles Champion and 2022 L4 Closed G16s doubles Finalist. Her history with Rutgers goes back to 1997, as her mother, Kristin, played tennis for the Knights till 2001.Ā Ā Ā
Cohen comes from Westfield, New Jersey, and attended Westfield High School where she earned a 40-10 record in her two years. She won the Union County singles tournament as a sophomore and was named to the NJSIAA All Group-IV First Team and All-State Third Team. Last spring, Cohen finished second at a Level 2 National USTA tournament, garnering a 5-star status from Tennis Recruiting, as well as a national rank of 47 in the class of 2025.Ā Ā Ā
Schmitz calls Kaiserslautern, Germany, home and attended Kaiserslautern High School. She is a four-time state champion and has earned multiple high finishes in ITF singles and doubles competition, along with aĀ top-10Ā national German ranking. Her father, Frank, was a German professional tennis player on the ATP tour for 10 years.Ā Ā
The team is changing beyond new members, too. Assistant coachĀ Noah LilienthalĀ has taken on a bigger role this season, and he and Ritchie are already collaborating on some team-wide goals.Ā
The ReturnersĀ Ā Ā
Rutgers also brings back a strong core, including key returners such asĀ Zuzanna Frankowska,Ā Zeynep Ilker, andĀ Karina Jumazhanova.Ā Ā
Last season, Frankowska earned an overall singles record of 16-13, including a 6-10 mark in the fall at the No. 2 spot. Ilker ended spring 2025 with an overall record of 13-8, picking up victories on the last three courts.Ā Ā JumazhanovaĀ finished last season with a 12-10 overall singles record.Ā
Naomi KarkiĀ will continue to be in the lineup for the Scarlet Knights after finishing her sophomore campaign withĀ an overall doublesĀ record of 16-14, along with 10-8 dual and 6-6 tour doubles records. Similarly,Ā Mai NguyenĀ will be returning after ending her junior campaign withĀ an overall doublesĀ record of 15-13 and a 10-8 dual doubles record.Ā Ā
Looking AheadĀ
RutgersĀ will hit the road to face Ohio StateĀ (2 p.m.)Ā on Friday, MarchĀ 27Ā and Penn StateĀ (3 p.m.)Ā on Sunday, March 28.Ā Ā
Follow AlongĀ Ā Ā
Follow Rutgers women's tennis onĀ Instagram,Ā Twitter, andĀ Facebook.Ā
