The Atkins Tennis Center was relatively quiet Tuesday, save for the daily routine of practice. Nine days from now, that will not be the case.

The Illinois women’s tennis team hosts the Midwest Blast Tournament for the second consecutive year, beginning next Friday. Until then, the Illini are in the midst of a 17-day break between tournaments, the longest lapse of the fall season. The long time off creates more opportunities for things like conditioning, individual skill work and recruiting, head coach Michelle Dasso said.

“We have two solid weeks of practice,” Dasso said. “We try to have practice matches, competitive play, just to keep them fresh. We bust it a little bit harder in conditioning.”

The hiatus comes following a mixed bag of fall performances. The Illini have sent players to three separate tournaments with moderate success. Freshman Alexis Casati is 6-1 overall in singles matches. Three Illini made the Round of 16 at the Midwest Regionals, and two doubles teams reached the quarterfinals. Still, Dasso has said her team is not satisfied, and players have been working on reaching individual goals to improve their respective games. To accomplish this, Dasso and assistant coach Ric Mortera hold “goal-setting meetings,” where the team addresses certain objectives it tries to attain during practice.

“We go back, regroup and focus on more of the changes in our game, rather than just tuneups,” senior Allison Falkin said. “I’ve been focusing on trying to be more aggressive because I’m a defensive player usually.”

Multiple off weeks provide time for heavier fundamental work, as well as conditioning that can take place at Memorial Stadium and the Armory track. However, they also leave space for rest. Empty days on the calendar are something a veteran like junior Melissa Kopinski appreciates.

“Michelle gave us two days off this past weekend, which is really nice,” Kopinski said. “We’re really thankful for that. We’re paying attention to injuries and taking time off for those who need it.”

Off days are welcomed by the players, but when tournaments wind down, recruiting heats up. Recruiting is a nonstop venture, but weekends provide special opportunities for potential recruits to visit campus. This past weekend was rare, when no recruits visited. But this upcoming weekend, Dasso is bringing a recruit to campus for an official visit. With no tennis tournaments on the calendar, Dasso has time to show recruits other aspects of campus life.

“We’ll go to the football game, we’ll go to soccer, we’ll do team meals,” Dasso said. “Sometimes if we can fit it in, getting them to go to a class with a player, that’s what we’ll do.”

Although the calendar may be empty, these bye weeks are not void of tennis activity. Players get much-needed days off among practice and conditioning. Coaches use the time to recruit. 

Illini tennis keeps rolling.

Alex can be reached at [email protected] and @aroux94.