For the second straight year, the Illinois men’s tennis team bowed out of the United States Tennis Association/Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Men’s Team Indoor Championships after reaching the semifinals.

Although the Illini showed great composure and the ability to overcome adversity this past weekend, No.2 Georgia was too much for Illinois to handle.

The Bulldogs, who went on to beat Pepperdine and win the tournament, topped the No.3 Illini 4-3, handing Illinois its first loss of the year. Illinois fell to 8-1 for the season, while Georgia is now 8-0.

“I’m real proud of the guys, they did a great job,” said Illinois head coach Brad Dancer. “We put ourselves in a position to win the (semifinal) match and the tournament; to have a chance to compete for a national championship would have been great.”

Illinois’ undefeated doubles team of sophomores Kevin Anderson and Ryan Rowe, once again proved to be a force for the Illini. The duo beat John Isner and Antonio Ruiz, Georgia’s defending NCAA Champions. Anderson and Rowe are undefeated this season in doubles. However, the sophomores’ success did not carry over to their teammates. Illinois dropped the crucial doubles point, which Dancer said proved to be the difference in the match.

Despite being down a point heading into the singles portion of the match, the Illini strung together three consecutive wins to give them a 3-1 lead. Anderson tallied the first point for his team with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory over Ruiz. Rowe gave the Illini their second point of the evening. He bested Matic Omerzel 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. Playing in his first USTA/ITA National Men’s Team Indoor Championships, freshman Marc Spicijaric proved his ability to respond well to the pressure-filled situation when he beat Ricardo Gonzales 6-4, 7-6(4).

“All of the matches were exciting,” Dancer said. “It was a fun match, it was just really fun college tennis.”

The rest of the Illini, including senior Ryler DeHeart, junior GD Jones and sophomore Ruben Gonzales suffered defeats. DeHeart, the nation’s seventh-ranked player, lost to No.2 Isner 7-6(5), 7-6(6). Luis Flores topped Jones 7-5, 7-5. Strahinja Bobusic, the nation’s 12th-ranked player beat Gonzales, the nation’s 59th-ranked player in a tough three-set match that ended up clinching the Georgia victory. Bobusic won 6-3, 2-6, 6-2.

“Obviously, it was disappointing we didn’t win the whole thing; we came one match away,” said DeHeart, who was on the tournament-winning teams in 2003 and 2004.

The Illini will learn from the match and use it to motivate them for the rest of the season. Dancer also said he was proud of the way the team responded to adversity, including playing and beating host Washington in the quarterfinals of the tournament, despite its home-court advantage and large fan base. Each of the teams also had to compete at various sights throughout the weekend, which can be challenging. Tennis balls will bounce differently and at different speeds depending on the courts at a particular site, and each athlete will have to adjust his style of play accordingly.

Seeing some of the best teams in the nation play will also be an advantage for the Illini. No.1 Florida fell to No. 9 Duke in the quarterfinals of the tournament and lost to No. 5 Mississippi as well. The Illini beat Washington 4-1 and topped Arkansas 4-0. DeHeart said the team now knows where it stands when compared to its toughest competition for the NCAA title, which the team has a chance to compete for in May.

“We’re right at the top,” DeHeart said.