CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – For the fifth time since taking over at the helm of the Illinois women's tennis program, head coach Evan Clark has turned in a top-25 ranked recruiting class. The latest Illini class is ranked No. 20 across the NCAA and No. 3 in the Big Ten.
"We're excited to be recognized for our 2026 recruiting class, but we're even more excited about the student-athletes joining our program," shared Clark. "Lyla, Shravani, and Kimiko are exceptional people and outstanding tennis players, and they will be tremendous additions to our team, both on the court and in the classroom. These rankings reflect their dedication and hard work over many years of junior tennis, and we're grateful they've made this recognition possible for our program. We always feel very fortunate to be able to add kids that have done it the right way and are coming for the right reasons. We're looking forward to welcoming them to campus next fall."
Illinois' class includes Kimiko Cooper, ranked No. 17 by Tennis Recruiting Network, who joined the team in January. Shravani Chennamsetty is the No. 21-ranked player by TNR and is a blue chip and five-star, while No. 36-ranked Lyla Messler rounded out Illinois' latest class.
USC (#13) and Michigan (#15) were the lone Big Ten teams ahead of Illinois in the ratings while Purdue (#22) also made the top-25 rated classes.
In 2017, Clark turned in his first ranked recruiting class, coming in at No. 15, which still holds as his highest. The next ranked class was No. 22 in 2019 followed by No. 24 in 2021, No. 16 mark in 2025, and No. 20 for 2026. The last two seasons are the first back-to-back ranked classes Clark and his staff have brought in.
In his 11th season at the Illinois women's tennis head. coach, Clark has had just one student-athlete transfer out of the program during their four-year career and has led his players to a 100% graduation rate.
