Illinois men’s tennis opens conference play Friday
Illinois Men’s Tennis huddles up before the match against Michigan State on April 15, 2016.
February 9, 2017
The Illinois men’s tennis team will conclude a three week home stretch on Friday as the team faces off against Indiana.
Illinois has a season record of 2-2, while Indiana is 6-0 on the season with notable wins against Dartmouth, Ball State and Eastern Illinois. The Hoosiers most recent victory is a 5-2 win over Princeton.
After falling to North Carolina last weekend, Illinois head coach Brad Dancer is hopeful for Friday. “(Indiana) is a Big Ten opener for us,” Dancer said. “With our schedule we’ve got tough matches all the time, but we’re looking forward to having a big Friday night crowd.”
The Hoosiers are dawning a slight advantage in doubles competition, having gone nearly undefeated in their last four matches. The Illini, however are still looking to sharpen their playing style within those matches.
“Its an individual situation, and we have individuals who are starting to play better in doubles,” Dancer said. “we just need to get one or two guys to spark that and make a difference.”
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
On Sunday, the Illini will travel to South Bend, Indiana, to match up against Notre Dame. Notre Dame is currently 4-2, boasting a pair of 7-0 nonconference sweeps over Monmouth and William & Mary.
“We have to get a little bit tougher, I hate to say that as a team, just a couple of individuals need to get a little bit of grit in them, and if we can get a little of that grit going across our team I like where we’re going,” Dancer said.
