Last week’s home games against Penn State and Ohio State marked the beginning of the nine-game streak of Big Ten opponents for Illinois men’s tennis. The team has started this run of games 1-1, winning 4-0 against Penn State and losing 0-4 against Ohio State. Illinois will not only look to bounce back from their loss against Ohio State but will also be looking to clinch their 100th all-time win against Purdue on Friday. Graduate student Oliver Okonkwo looked at the silver linings against Ohio State and what the team did well that needs to carry over to this slate of games.

“It was tough going into singles, but I think everyone came out with a decent attitude,” Okonkwo said. “We were right there. It’s just a case of lasting a little bit longer. The mentality this week is really looking to see what we can do in terms of getting ourselves to that point where we know we can take these tough teams on.”

These upcoming games will prove to be a test for the men’s team as they sit with a 1-5 away record on the season. The Illini only have two more home games left this spring season, and if they want to keep a winning record, currently 13-8, they will have to prove themselves on the road. These matches will be crucial as the team has the Big Ten tournament coming up in a little over four weeks. Though the team’s recent schedule has done a lot to prepare the team, Okonkwo states that Illinois is always competing against some of the best.

“The Big Ten is a competitive conference,” Okonkwo said. “It’s full of good players, good coaches, good facilities. With Illinois, though, the outer conference matches we play, we still play against the top competing teams across the country.”

Illinois will be playing for their 100th all-time win against Purdue, a huge milestone for the program against a solid conference opponent. The team will hope that history repeats itself, as they have enjoyed success against Purdue in nine out of their last 10 matchups. The Illini find themselves ranked No. 22 right now, leaving them as the favorites against the unranked Boilermakers. Okonkwo understands that no game is a given, though.

“Purdue is one of those teams that can be tricky,” Okonkwo said. “We take every match as it is. We treat them with the same respect we’d treat any other team. We’ll go out and try to get the job done.”

Illinois’ match against Indiana will provide a good means of experience for the team when it comes to the Big Ten tournament. The end-of-the-season tournament will also be played in Bloomington, Indiana, meaning this upcoming match can help the team get a feel for these courts. Okonkwo is certainly looking forward to getting a feel of the courts in Bloomington.

“I think it’s a great opportunity,” Okonkwo said. “We’re going to have a little bit more experience playing there. I think it’s going to be a great preparation for the Big Ten tournament. I’m trying to go out there and see what the conditions are like, see what the conditions could be like in the Big Ten tournament.”

Illinois will also be the favorite against an unranked Indiana. The team, like against Purdue, has won nine out of their last 10 matches against Indiana. This weekend provides a great opportunity for the team to go on a winning streak, get more comfortable with playing on the road and gain valuable experience of what the play is like in Bloomington. It will be interesting to see how the team handles these away games that have proven to be a struggle so far this season. Although the Illini have struggled, Okonkwo knows that a tough away victory could be a huge momentum shift.

“It’s a case of when we start pushing these away matches against these tougher teams,” Okonkwo said. “And (when) we can get one or two of them under our belt, it’s going to change the season.”

Illinois plays away at Purdue on Friday at 2 p.m. and at Indiana on Sunday at 11 a.m.

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