Rally the Facts: Five things to know as Wisconsin heads to ITA Kickoff Weekend

Friday, January 23

Charlottesville, VA

Wisconsin Badgers

USC

Photo by: David Stluka

Rally the Facts: Five things to know as Wisconsin heads to ITA Kickoff Weekend

January 21, 2026 | Women's Tennis

Wisconsin travels to Charlottesville for regular season action

By: Aliza Manekia

MADISON, Wis - Wisconsin women's tennis continues its spring season this weekend as the Badgers head east for the ITA Kickoff Weekend. Wisconsin will face USC on Friday, Jan. 23, at 6 p.m., before taking on either Virginia or Rice on Sunday, Jan. 25.

1. The Last Serve
Wisconsin opened the spring season with a pair of dominant performances in DeKalb, sweeping both Missouri and Northern Illinois, 7-0, to move to 2-0 on the year. The Badgers secured the doubles point in both matches behind wins from Maria Sholokhova and Lucie Urbanova, along with Ellison Reynoldson and Ekaterina Ivanova. In singles play, Sholokhova and Ivanova each earned straight set victories, while Kaede Usui and Kaja Jacobson added wins to close out the sweeps.

2. Scouting the Trojans
No. 20 USC enters the weekend on a four-match win streak after a strong start to the spring. The Trojans most recently earned a 4-3 win over Arizona State before following with a 5-2 road victory against Arizona, with Emma Charney and Jana Hossam strongly contributing across the lineup. USC has also leaned on its doubles pairings early in the season, with the pairing of Lily Fairclough and Dani Borruel delivering consistent performances.

3. Scouting the Cavaliers and the Owls
Virginia enters the weekend ranked No. 14 and with a 3-1 record after dropping its latest match against No. 6 UNC. Isabelle Lacy pulled off the upset win for the Cavaliers to earn the team a team point. Rice also comes in with early momentum after completing an opening weekend sweep against Lamar and FAU, including a comeback win after dropping the doubles point.

4. Matchup by the Numbers
USC holds a narrow edge in the all-time series, leading Wisconsin 3 2. The Badgers have never faced Rice, while their last meeting with Virginia came in 2004.

5. Up Next
The Badgers return to Nielsen for a busy weekend slate. On Saturday, Jan. 30, Wisconsin will face Harvard at 12 p.m. before taking on UW-Milwaukee at 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 1, marks Family Fun Day at Nielsen Tennis Stadium, as the women's team takes on Texas while the men face Omaha. The first 200 fans will receive a Badger swirler flag, and players will be available for autographs following the matches.