The Illinois men’s tennis team remains one of the youngest in the Big Ten and the nation as a whole. 

After the graduation of senior standouts Stephen Hoh and Bruno Abdelnour, the squad is comprised entirely of sophomores and juniors. But despite the lack of senior leadership, the team expects to win the Big Ten title and a return to the top 10 of the national rankings this season.

While you were out

“The key for us will be to see how our guys mature throughout the season,” head coach Brad Dancer said. “We still have a very young team, and the maturation process that they all go through will go a long way in measuring how well we match our expectations.”

The Illini ended last season with a second-round exit in the NCAA tournament after losing to Vanderbilt. Though the team qualified for its 18th consecutive NCAA berth, the Illini were unable to participate in the national championships held on campus. The team was unable to repeat as Big Ten champions .

“We were obviously disappointed with how we ended last season, given that we expected to advance deeper in the NCAAs,” Dancer said. “As a team, we’re extremely motivated to achieve our lofty goals to be one of the top teams in the country again.”

What to watch for

The top returning individual for the Illini is sophomore Jared Hiltzik — the 2012-13 Big Ten Newcomer of the Year. He defeated four top-25 players last season and made it to the round of 32 of the NCAA tournament. Hiltzik, a top national recruit in 2012, will be expected to shoulder a bigger load of the leadership on a team lacking experienced seniors.

“Jared is a unique individual in that he is very driven, very focused,” Dancer said. “He still needs to grow and become more of a leader for us. Once he is comfortable in that role, he will be a great leader for our team over the next three years and hopefully that will begin this season.”

In doubles, the team’s top duo of juniors Ross Guignon and Tim Kopinski is back. The duo had a 12-3 record together, including a win over No. 2-ranked duo of Jarmere Jenkins and Mac Styslinger from Virginia — to whom they would lose in the NCAA Doubles Championships.

“The Achilles’ heel for Ross and Tim in doubles has always been their serving, and if they can develop a more consistent serve they will be very successful for us,” Dancer said.

Ohio State remains the toughest conference rival for the Illini. The team had some triumphs over the Buckeyes, as evidenced by Hiltzik’s victory over eventual NCAA individual champion Blaz Rola. Though the Illini lost 4-3 to Ohio State in the regular season, the doubles tandem of Guignon and Kopinski managed to defeat the Buckeye tandem of Peter Kobelt and Connor Smith. The Illini would again face the Buckeyes in a rematch in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals only to be denied a chance to defend their conference crown.

“It’s been Illinois and Ohio State for 20 years,” Dancer said. “They’ve had our number over the last five to seven years, and we have to change that.”

One of the most important factors that Dancer and the Illini are looking to focus on is the consistency of the entire team, not just Hiltzik and Kopinski. Given that the team has no incoming freshmen this season, there will be increased pressure on the full roster. Dancer expects to see continued growth and progress from individuals such as sophomores Alex Jesse and Brian Page. Dancer also hopes to see the health of Guignon improve and have him out on the court more consistently.  

“The physical nature of the season, especially during the Big Ten season, will be a huge test for us,” Dancer said. “We have to be able to deal with that better if we are going to match the high expectations we have set for us as a team.”

Dan can be reached at descalo2 @dailyillini.com and @danescalona77.