April 2009 Archives
It is always amazing to watch how quickly the season goes by. My freshman year the seniors told me to enjoy the ride because it would be over before I knew it. This couldn't be more true. I remember our training trip to Florida in January like it was yesterday. Now the weather is heating up, school is almost over, and our squad is into postseason play, starting with the Big Ten Tournament this weekend. We go in as the number two seed, behind the Ohio State Buckeyes, and are aiming to win the title, a feat well within our capabilities.
Last week, we began what has become our postseason "tradition" at Illinois. In 2007, a banged up Fighting Illini team decided to work even harder the last few weeks of the year. Choosing to be over-prepared, the team added 7 a.m. hits to their already rigorous practice schedule, and took on brutal conditions sessions. Such hard work and dedication brought the team together. They rose to the occasion, defeating the Buckeyes in the quarterfinals and advancing to the finals of the NCAA Men's Tennis Championships. Their effort embodies our greatest desire: the opportunity to play for a national championship. At this time of year, most teams begin to taper their workouts hoping to rest up for the challenges ahead. We will continue to work hard, knowing that our strong legs and mental toughness will serve us well. Hopefully, this gives us the edge that we need to achieve our goals.
Over the weekend we traveled to the state of Michigan to take on the Wolverines and the Michigan State Spartans. We took a rough loss on Saturday, one that was very displeasing to our team and coaching staff. However, it could turn out to be a blessing. We were jolted and pushed to play extremely well the next day against Michigan State. I think now our team completely understands just how much we need to focus. We are ready for the Big Ten Tournament and couldn't be more excited. Hopefully, when I write again, I will be a Big Ten champion.
Until next time, Abe
With our scheduled outdoor matches against Indiana, Iowa and Minnesota being pushed indoors because of rain and cold, our team was eager to compete against Kentucky at the new Khan outdoor complex in Champaign, even if the conditions were less than ideal. ITA rules state that the temperature must be above 50 degrees, and that the winds must not exceed a sustained speed of 20 mph. I believe that the temperature was 49 and the winds were at 17-18, so outdoor play was approved.
Kentucky is a talented young team. Last year, in Lexington, we earned a hard-fought victory in cold, windy conditions. We were looking for a similar result. The doubles was extremely hard fought. We split 2 and 3 doubles, bringing the doubles point decision down to the freshman duo of Dennis and Ruan at number 1 doubles. These guys couldn't have done a better job of going after it and staying aggressive in the tightest moments. They triumphed in a tiebreaker, taking the set 9-8 and the doubles point for the Fighting Illini. This point turned out to be essential as we captured the match 4-3.
Rain and freezing cold inhibited our ability to practice outside over the next few days. However, we knew that our two Big Ten matches (Penn State and Ohio State) over the weekend would most likely be played outside. Saturday's match brought conditions very similar to Wednesday's; windy and maybe slightly warmer. Doubles wasn't perhaps where we want it to be, but singles was probably the best we have performed all year. Our squad took four of the six singles matches very quickly, and then pulled out victories at 4 and 6 to take our first 7-0 triumph in the Big Ten. We were all excited and ready for the challenge of facing the Buckeyes on Sunday.
Sunday was senior day, giving us the opportunity to honor Marc Spicijaric. Marc has been a tremendous force on our team for all four of his years. He was instrumental in the run to the NCAA finals in 2007, and has been so valuable for us again this year. Unfortunately, our team fell to a solid Ohio State team 6-1. We are eager to redeem ourselves at the Big Ten tournament in two weeks time. However, before that, we will need to meet the challenge of playing Michigan and Michigan State, both away, this coming weekend. Hopefully we will put ourselves in a position to succeed.
Until next time,
Abe
Keeping in mind our tremendously busy schedule down the stretch, our squad put main priorities at a premium on April 1st and 2nd in Champaign. Missing so much school is troublesome, especially as finals approach. Rescheduling tests or quizzes can become a huge hassle if problems are not recognized and dealt with in advance. We made sure to get ahead in class, meet with teachers concerning upcoming conflicts, and of course, rest our bodies and minds for the challenges ahead. After coming off such a busy weekend of competition, we knew that we wouldn't need to hit too many balls to be ready to go against Iowa. A proper mental state was much more important.
On the bus ride to Iowa we watched some very interesting DVDs. Brad brought along the trailers from the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 seasons. It was incredibly exciting to watch Delic, Stolt, Calkins, Chris Martin, and others claim a National Championship for the Fighting Illini. The films gave us extra motivation to fight hard for a Big Ten Title and a National Title. That night, our team talked in the hotel about ways in which we could incorporate qualities of the undefeated 2003 team into our own group. We decided that it was essential to play for ourselves, for our own glory and excitement in playing tennis. I think these discussions helped us tremendously the next day. We came out with loads of energy against a talented Iowa team. Although we lost the doubles point, everyone came out ready to play in singles. We took five out of six, claiming a 5-2 victory.
We drove to Minnesota that night to prepare for a battle on Sunday. We watched the movie Miracle on the way up. This tale concerning the United States' victory over the Soviet Union's hockey team in 1980 further motivated our fighting spirit. Every person on the bus was motivated to take a dominate 6-0 start in the Big Ten.
The match on Sunday did not disappoint. Brad informed us just how tough of a team Minnesota is on Saturday. They boasted a 12-0 record at home entering the match. Our team did itself proud, taking the doubles point with a gutsy win at three doubles by Brian Livingston and Waylon Chin. Singles was a complete war. The match came down to Waylon and myself, both in third sets, at 4 and 6 singles respectively, with the score 3-2 for the Illini. Waylon triumphed, winning 6-2 in the deciding set to give the fighting Illini a well deserved victory.
This week brings a whole new cluster of opportunities to our program. It will be our privilege to encounter these at Atkins Tennis Center, our home. We will play Kentucky on Wednesday April 8th, Penn State on Saturday, and Ohio Sate on Easter Sunday. I think everyone is incredibly excited for the opportunity to take on a great team like Kentucky, and then attempt to maintain our undefeated Big Ten record.
Until next time, Abe
In college tennis, spring break usually means a trip to
a warm climate for a week of training, team bonding, and competition.
Last year, our team traveled to Malibu, California. We practiced hard,
spent time at the beach, played Pepperdine, and finished up our trip
with some site seeing in San Francisco. However, because of our busy
schedule with Big Ten matches and the NCAA championships this season,
the coaching staff gave us four days (March 21-24) to go home, see our
families, and ready ourselves for the challenges ahead. Waylon came
home with me to St. Louis. We completely crashed and spent most of the
next few days in bed. We returned to Champaign rejuvenated on Tuesday,
March 24.
For the next week we trained extremely hard. Blustery
conditions in Champaign required intense concentration and patience.
Although frustrating, competing in such conditions definitely made us
mentally stronger. We decided that the best way to prepare for our
final cluster of matches would be to compete in matches against each
other. On Wednesday and Thursday our team battled in windy conditions
in an attempt to simulate a dual match. The coaching staff hoped that
in creating a dual match atmosphere, our squad would be more prepared.
At night we encountered challenging conditioning workouts. Every man on
the team improved drastically in running times and strength.
On Saturday morning we traveled to Notre Dame. Our
confrontation with the Irish on March 29 ushered in the final portion
of the season. For whatever reason, our intensity in practice on
Saturday was not up to par. This definitely cost us in the match the
following day. We came out flat in doubles, giving away the doubles
point. Singles was more hard-fought, but the Fighting Irish took
advantage of the slow start, claiming a 4-3 victory. We were quite
upset with this outcome, and looked forward to traveling to Indiana for
a match on Tuesday.
Practice at Indiana was much more intense. Our team came
together in an effort to rebound and end the road trip on a good note.
We practiced twice on Monday and prepared our minds for what was sure
to be a tough match. Rain forced the match inside just after the
doubles matches got under way. A change in surface and playing
conditions can be extremely difficult to deal with. Indiana's indoor
courts were quite quick compared to slow outdoor play. Nevertheless, we
remained focused and swept the doubles. We then claimed five out of six
singles to win the match 6-1. We were proud of this effort as Indiana
is a strong team. It was an encouraging win for us, and hopefully our
team is able to continue the momentum. We will travel to Iowa for a
match this Friday, and then play Minnesota away on Sunday. Hopefully
we can grab two victories and keep an undefeated Big Ten record. There
is certainly a lot to play for down this final stretch.
Until next
time,
Abe
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abe Souza
Sophomore, Illinois
Abe won his first collegiate match for the Fighting Illini over Alabama's Saketh Myneni in the fall of 2007 at the Olympia Fields Invitational. He went 16-17 overall and 5-4 in the dual season in singles, and played at No. 6 singles, going 2-1 in Big Ten play. Abe was honored with the Strength and Conditioning and Most Improved Player awards as voted on by his teammates for the 2007-08 season.
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