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.
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
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