Big Ten season gets no easier for IU

For the IU men's tennis team, there is little time for rest.\nComing off a brutal pre-conference schedule laden with ranked opponents, the Hoosiers begin their Big Ten season with two more ranked teams, as they face No. 3 Illinois and No. 66 Penn State this weekend at the IU Tennis Center.\nThe No. 62 Hoosiers experienced plenty of peaks and valleys in non-conference play, but IU coach Ken Hydinger thinks the team has only benefited from the experience, he said.\n"I think the schedule will definitely help the guys," Hydinger said. "The guys had to push themselves a little more every match. I hope that will help them as we get into conference play."\nSaturday will see IU face an Illinois team that has amassed an 8-1 record this spring, dominating most of their opponents on the way. Besides that, the Illini carry a conference-match win streak of 40. \nIU has lost its last nine matches against Illinois, but leads the all-time series 42-36. \n"They've got some real talent in there," Hydinger said, referring to the Illini. "They're young for that high ranking, but they play aggressively and like to play indoors. It's going to be a challenge."\nThe Hoosiers will next play host to Penn State, one of the few teams that has taken Illinois to the wire this spring. The 9-2 Nittany Lions come in after an impressive 7-0 victory against Toledo. It will be important for the Hoosiers to maintain their focus all weekend, said senior Jakub Praibis. \n"It's a tough match Saturday, obviously, but it's also going to be a pretty tough match on Sunday too," Praibis said. "We've been through a long season already. We shouldn't get discouraged by anything."\nPraibis compared the weekend's play to the Hoosiers' visit south three weeks ago, when they faced No. 2 Virginia and N.C. State and suffered two close losses.\n"It might be a little easier for us this time around because we are at home," he said. "We don't have to travel this time, so it should be better for us. We like to play on our court."\nPraibis has been one of several bright spots for the Hoosiers this spring, amassing a 7-2 singles record and a 7-2 doubles record alongside junior Dmytro Ishtuganov. Freshman Michael McCarthy has been another nice surprise for the Hoosiers, contributing in both singles and doubles early this season. \n"We've already played the No. 2 team, so we're not too intimidated by Illinois," McCarthy said. "It's not like we haven't played a top team; our schedule has been full of them. This is nothing new for us."\nThe matches are even more important now, McCarthy said, because the Hoosiers are competing for a Big Ten title. \n"Our goal is to win the Big Ten this year," he said. "Like every Big Ten match, these are very important matches for our team."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Eamonn Brennan at eabrenna@indiana.edu