No. 16 Illinois (5-2) is back in the saddle as it travels to Waco, Texas, on Saturday. Illinois has a doubleheader scheduled against UTRGV (2-8) and No. 17 Baylor (8-6).
The Illini are in the midst of a four-game win streak following a convincing 5-2 win over then No. 12 Michigan (5-5) last weekend. Meanwhile, Baylor is also looking to repeat recent success after putting together a 4-0 shutout against Tulsa (7-8).
On the other hand, things have not been pretty for UTRGV after it lost its eighth match of the year last weekend. Regardless, Illinois has two chances to bolster its resume in Waco.
4 game win streak not enough?
Although Illinois sits at 5-2 and is ranked in the top 20, the coaching staff feels the players haven’t fully tapped into their potential. Head coach Brad Dancer believes his staff needs to coach better.
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“We’re not playing to our capacity, and that’s your goal as a coach, to get the best out of your team,” Dancer said. “We know right now we are not doing that, and so we have to coach better. We really have to coach better.”
While each player has specific areas to improve, the team emphasized controlling the height of the ball and executing plays with clarity and commitment. This was translated into practicing serving and returning this week.
Road challenges
One of the biggest challenges in reaching the next level is consistency. For the Illini, it’s specifically while they’re on the road. Travel takes a lot out of players. They have to adjust to new environments and stay focused despite the fatigue of being away from home.
“You want to have your practice the day before feel like the first round match of a tournament,” Dancer said when asked how he prepares his team for road matches. “We go as hard as we possibly feel like we can, given illnesses or injuries, to make it feel like when we take the court the next day that we’ve already played a match.”
Dancer ensures his team is prepared to hit the ground running. Each practice is designed to make sure they’re ready to compete no matter the challenges of playing away matches.
Focused on themselves
Although the weekend features a top-20 matchup, the Illini focus solely on what they can control. Securing individual wins is all that matters. When asked how he will prepare the team for this weekend’s matchups, Dancer shifted the focus to his squad.
“We’ll have plenty of challenges, I promise you that,” Dancer said.
This will mark the first time Illinois plays outdoors since its trip to Arizona in early January. However, many players did not play in that match, so this will be their first outdoor game since October.
Building momentum
Illinois will first have the chance to extend its winning streak and build momentum against a struggling UTRGV squad. This could set them up for a tough test in Baylor.
With both ranked teams looking to maintain strong form, Saturday’s matchup is another key measuring stick for Illinois as it continues its early-season campaign. First serve will be Saturday at 10 a.m. for UTRGV and 6 p.m. for Baylor, both at the Hurd Tennis Center in Waco, Texas.
