The Big Ten Opener against Purdue on February 27 ushered in an extremely important part of the season. There is not a person on the University of Illinois Men's Tennis Team that does not place a Big Ten Title (regular season and tournament) near the top of their list of goals. Former coach Craig Tiley took our program from obscurity to national prominence in the 1990s. Illinois became a winning machine, bringing home nine Big Ten banners in as many years from 1997-2005. However, our squad has not grabbed a regular season or tournament title since 2005. I had the privilege of experiencing a Big Ten Tournament final last year at the University of Iowa. The atmosphere was absolutely electric. Although we lost a heart breaker to Ohio State 4-3, the chance to play for such laurels is what our program is all about. Having said that, feeling such disappointment last year makes us want to push ourselves even harder in preparation for what is to come.
The sub-freezing temperatures thawed this past week in Champaign, bringing warm air from the South and putting everyone on our team, coaches included, in a pretty good mood. We focused on consistency and fitness, getting our minds and bodies ready for battle. On Tuesday, we had the opportunity to practice at night. Because no one else was in the building, we were able to take the shirts off and compete hard against one another for a few hours. We concentrated on composure, hustle, and execution, tactics which will pay dividends in long matches. Trash talk circulated in the friendly-competitive atmosphere, particularly from Brian Livingston and myself.
In general, we have done a really good job of making things fun this year. This was one of our goals that we made during preseason in Florida and our team has enjoyed the ride so far. Having fun keeps our team fresh.
We felt completely prepared for the weekend of Big Ten tennis, and were excited at the possibility of extending our conference record to 3-0. Northwestern on Friday turned out to be a battle. Our guys had great energy in doubles (another trait we have been emphasizing), and managed to sweep all three matches. We knew that Northwestern had improved tremendously. They showed their strength at all points of the lineup, managing to grab three wins. Marc did a great job of trusting in his game at #1 singles. He stayed calm and trusted in his form, showing why he was such a huge force for us at ITA Indoors. Marek was tremendously solid mentally, as usual, at #4, and Brian Livingston electrified the crowd on court 6, giving us a 4-3 victory.
Playing a match the next day is always difficult physically, so body care (icing, stretching, hydration) was at a premium. Once again, our doubles prevailed Saturday night over a talented Wisconsin team. We showed our depth with victories at 4,5, and 6 singles to seal another 4-3 win. The matches haven't been easy, but we are happy to get through each match and remain undefeated in conference play. Next Sunday, we have a big challenge ahead of us in playing Texas A&M in College Station. The cold is supposed to move back into Champaign mid-week, but hopefully we can sneak outside and prepare for a very strong team. The wind and possible heat will all be difficult factors, but every player is ready for the opportunity.
The sub-freezing temperatures thawed this past week in Champaign, bringing warm air from the South and putting everyone on our team, coaches included, in a pretty good mood. We focused on consistency and fitness, getting our minds and bodies ready for battle. On Tuesday, we had the opportunity to practice at night. Because no one else was in the building, we were able to take the shirts off and compete hard against one another for a few hours. We concentrated on composure, hustle, and execution, tactics which will pay dividends in long matches. Trash talk circulated in the friendly-competitive atmosphere, particularly from Brian Livingston and myself.
In general, we have done a really good job of making things fun this year. This was one of our goals that we made during preseason in Florida and our team has enjoyed the ride so far. Having fun keeps our team fresh.
We felt completely prepared for the weekend of Big Ten tennis, and were excited at the possibility of extending our conference record to 3-0. Northwestern on Friday turned out to be a battle. Our guys had great energy in doubles (another trait we have been emphasizing), and managed to sweep all three matches. We knew that Northwestern had improved tremendously. They showed their strength at all points of the lineup, managing to grab three wins. Marc did a great job of trusting in his game at #1 singles. He stayed calm and trusted in his form, showing why he was such a huge force for us at ITA Indoors. Marek was tremendously solid mentally, as usual, at #4, and Brian Livingston electrified the crowd on court 6, giving us a 4-3 victory.
Playing a match the next day is always difficult physically, so body care (icing, stretching, hydration) was at a premium. Once again, our doubles prevailed Saturday night over a talented Wisconsin team. We showed our depth with victories at 4,5, and 6 singles to seal another 4-3 win. The matches haven't been easy, but we are happy to get through each match and remain undefeated in conference play. Next Sunday, we have a big challenge ahead of us in playing Texas A&M in College Station. The cold is supposed to move back into Champaign mid-week, but hopefully we can sneak outside and prepare for a very strong team. The wind and possible heat will all be difficult factors, but every player is ready for the opportunity.
Until Next Time,
Abe
Abe
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