Head coach Brad Dancer said every team in the Big Ten is looking to get a piece of last year’s conference champions, his No. 19 Illinois team.

When Illinois edged Ohio State to secure the Big Ten title last year — its first in seven years — they had started conference play 5-0. But this is not that same Illini team.

Having played 11 of its previous 13 matches at home, the nine-man team — which has seven underclassmen — has little experience on the road this season. 

“It’s an exciting time, especially with such a young team,” Dancer said. “They’ve never been through the rigors of Big Ten schedule. Big challenges for us these next four matches to see how we handle ourselves on the road.”

Freshman Brian Page said each court has its own atmosphere, which can require adjustments. Where Atkins Tennis Center’s courts tend to be slower, Page expects Wisconsin’s and Minnesota’s to be much quicker courts.

“It’s going to be a lot tougher than at home,” Page said. “We’ve just got to get mentally and physically prepared for that and (for) people rooting against us.”

The road won’t be the only obstacle for the Illini to overcome, as they’ve had little success with capturing doubles points for most of the season. But despite a 6-9 record in doubles, Dancer said things are starting to connect.

“I think it’s just individual guys are playing better,” Dancer said. “It’s just trying to find the right chemistry, and that chemistry can change because if some guy is not performing well, that throws off the chemistry.”

One of the deadly Illini duos thus far in the season is sophomores Ross Guignon and Tim Kopinski, who have climbed to a No. 22 ranking. When paired together, they have won 10 of 11 doubles matches.

Page, who has won two of his five spring doubles matches despite frequently switching partners, said he thinks the team has a good chance at success if they focus hard on fighting all the way through doubles.

Although Dancer said sophomore Alex Jesse and senior Bruno Abdelnour have been key in turning around the team’s doubles game, he said no one player showed superiority over another.

“For the most part, you’ll see a lot of changes in lineup, but maybe not the core six that are playing (in singles).” Dancer said.

Dancer dismissed a former concern with Abdelnour’s groin injury, saying he is doing great lately after suffering the injury in the Duke match on Feb. 1. But even with him on the roster, Dancer recognizes the challenge ahead.

“Whether it’s with a coach or another player, it seems like there’s a little history in the Big Ten. You just have memories.” Dancer said. “I was thinking earlier this week of tough matches that we’ve won on the road at these places, and those are good memories to draw upon because you know it’s not going to be easy any of our next four matches.”

Except No. 7 Ohio State, Illinois is the only Big Ten team ranked in the top 25. But Dancer’s team has been ranked in the top 20 for each of his eight seasons as head coach, and he said he’s determined to have his team fighting all the way.

“We have a certain pride in our program and a certain level we want to achieve,” Dancer said. “We just need to get ready to go and do the best we can.”

J.J. can be reached at [email protected] and @Wilsonable07.