Tennis serves as family tradition

Playing for the IU men's tennis team is a family tradition for senior Zach Held. Both of Held's older brothers played tennis at IU; the oldest played here 12 years ago. But, it wasn't always that clear-cut of a choice for Held, as he opted to go to the University of Michigan for his freshman year before transferring.\n"I was doing my own thing," Held said. "I wanted to break the mold."\nHeld finished his freshman season at Michigan with an 11-11 record in singles and an 11-10 record in doubles competition. He was defeated in singles and doubles in the Regional rounds of the NCAA tournament that year. After that, Held decided that IU was a better fit for him, and followed his brothers' footsteps by transferring to IU for his sophomore year. Held credited the influence of his brothers on developing his attitude on and off the court.\n"They are responsible for molding me," Held said. "They are always congenial to people, they show leadership…they rubbed off on me."\nCoach Ken Hydinger said Held is a leader on the court and knows what he's talking about when it comes to tennis. \n"He plays hard and plays every point," Hydinger said. "He keeps his energy going."\nHeld's game has been improving since his freshman year. He predominantly played from the backcourt during his first two years, but since then he said he has greatly improved his volleys. By playing more at the net, Held has more control of the point and can finish quickly, he said. \n"Each year one more piece is put in place," Held said. "This year I can put it all together."\nDuring Held's sophomore season he mostly played in the fifth singles position, and posted a 16-14 overall record. This past season, Held moved up to the third and fourth singles positions and had a 11-21 record. He compiled a 14-14 record at the number two doubles position and played with recent graduate Milan Rakvica and sophomore Ryan Recht. Recht said Held has a positive presence whenever he steps on the court. \n"His character is real good on the court," Recht said. "The presence he gives and the way he acts around his teammates puts off a good feeling."\nHydinger said Held's strong character and work ethic have been apparent throughout his career at IU. Hydinger recalled the Hoosiers' first big match against Notre Dame during Held's sophomore year. The crowd was hanging over the fence, and those near the back in the bleachers stood or strained their eyes to see the action as the heated rivalry between IU and Notre Dame was apparent. Held lost the first set, but came back in the second. And when Hydinger approached him before the tie-breaker started, he remembered Held wasn't pessimistic or complaining of fatigue. Instead, he was smiling and jumping up and down to keep his feet from becoming sluggish.\n"He kept saying 'this is great, this is great,'" Hydinger said.\nHeld said he saw it as an opportunity to prove his mettle. \n"I wanted to prove to the team I could come through," Held said, adding that he won that match 7-5 in a tiebreaker.\nAfter finishing this year at IU, Held plans to go to dental school. He said he would also like to travel around the world and see places he won't be able to see once he's settled into his life.\n"(Held) has a maturity, a sense of what it takes to make a team," Hydinger said. "He's a great leader"