Men's tennis squad find victory against Vanderbilt

Just as an early-season chance at revenge seemed to be slipping from IU’s grasp despite the best efforts of an animated home crowd, the experienced Hoosiers received a shot in the arm — from their least experienced member.

Sophomore and Serbia-native Dimitrije Tasic, the only non-upperclassman to suit up for IU, overcame a first-set defeat and clinched the deciding point in a tense 4-3 triumph against No. 34 Vanderbilt, capping off two home wins against ranked opponents in as many days.

On Saturday, the No. 27 Hoosiers fended off a valiant effort by a young, 66th-ranked Harvard team, winning 5-2.

Tasic lost the first set 3-6 against Commodore foe Joe Dorn, but he pulled himself out of a 5-2 hole in the second set tiebreaker to win 8-6 and set the stage for a winner-take-all third set.

“He is somebody that does a good job once he gets on top and figures things out,” IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said. “He’s going to be a heck of a player for Indiana. In fact, he already is, but we’re expecting better and better from him in the future.”

In the final, decisive set, every rally was followed by either impassioned cries of “Right now, Dima!” or semi-coordinated, often Josh MacTaggart-led “I-U! I-U!” cheers from the rest of the engrossed Hoosier team.

As Tasic seized control of the momentum through a series of breaks, each one prompting more beaming smiles and deafening roars from his teammates, he began to ooze a confidence that ultimately propelled him and his team to an important victory.

Up 5-2 and serving for the match, Tasic finally ended the four-hour contest between the two schools with an ace down the middle, ensuring the Hoosiers would exact a measure of revenge against Vanderbilt for last year’s 7-0 drubbing in Nashville, Tenn.

Asked if this was his greatest moment as a Hoosier so far, the match-winning tennis player couldn’t hide his elation.

“Definitely,” Tasic said. “But I look forward to Big Ten Conference, Big Ten Tournament and NCAA Tournament for even better feeling.”

The man of the hour was quick to minimize personal glory, though, preferring to praise the effort of his teammates.

“I am especially glad — thrilled — that my teammates are all strong enough that we can finish these matches,” Tasic said. “I’m not the only one who could clinch this match. There were many other guys involved. That’s why we’re going to be an even better team this year.”

Tasic’s teammates combined to take two of three doubles contests against Vanderbilt, earning the first point. MacTaggart and Alastair Barnes prevailed 8-5 at No. 2, while Will Kendall and Stephen Vogl defeated the Commodores’ No. 3 tandem 8-3.

Victory eluded IU for No. 1 doubles, as Isade Juneau and Jeremy Langer lost the final four games to Gonzales Austin and Blake Bazarnik en route to an 8-4 setback.

The Hoosiers split six matches with the Commodores. MacTaggart won 6-4, 6-2, while Tasic and Langer followed suit at 3-6, 7-6 (6), 6-2, and 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, respectively.

On the losing side, Juneau came up short in two contested sets at the No. 1 spot, 6-7, 4-6, Barnes was bested 7-6, 0-6, 4-6 at No. 5, and Vogl lost 4-6, 3-6 at No. 6.

Against Harvard on Saturday, the Juneau and Langer duo won the most compelling match in doubles action 9-8 (7-2), capturing the tiebreaker against Alistair Felton and Casey MacMaster to cap a sweep of the Crimson and earn the first point.

Despite not playing to the standard Bloemendaal said he has come to expect from them, the two Canadians carried the momentum earned in the initial match into singles play, as both prevailed in straight sets.

MacTaggart and Vogl recorded the other two victories for IU, with Vogl rebounding from a first-set loss to defeat the Crimson’s Felton, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

In the latter match, Vogl executed a perfect lob to seize a commanding 4-1 lead in the third set, which he would go on to win comfortably.

Fellow senior and No. 3 doubles partner Will Kendall said he was both surprised and amused after the shot.

“That’s not usually his bread and butter,” Kendall said, noting that Vogl is more of a power player. “It was probably the only lob shot he’s hit in his career.”

A day after the lob, the Connecticut native again found himself entrenched
in a dogfight at No. 6 singles — this time against Northern Illinois’ Frederic Cadieux.

Once more, though, Vogl emerged victorious after falling in the initial stanza, vanquishing his Husky counterpart 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (12-10).

Vogl’s dropped set proved to be the only one of its kind during Sunday evening’s match against the Huskies, as all other Hoosiers prevailed in straight sets in singles action.

Juneau defeated Maksym Bartiuk 6-0, 6-2, MacTaggart beat Roman Turtygin 6-3, 6-1, Tasic bested Axel Lagerlof 6-4, 6-2, Barnes overcame Dor Amir 6-2, 6-4 and Kendall registered a 6-4, 6-1 victory opposite Mikhail Titov.

Earlier, Kendall and Vogl had collaborated for an 8-1 decision against Bartiuk and Cadieux in the battle of the No. 3 tandems, setting the tone for a sweep of Northern Illinois in doubles play.

Juneau and Langer took the No. 1 match 8-4 soon thereafter to wrap up the point for the Hoosiers, while MacTaggart and Barnes capped off the initial round of matches with an 8-7 victory.

Taken as a whole, Bloemendaal said the weekend’s results reflected the mental fortitude of his team.

“I don’t think we necessarily played our best tennis, but we fought hard,” Bloemendaal said. “Our guys showed a lot of heart today. We were defending our home courts like mad — we came into (the Vanderbilt match) thinking they were going to come and play hot, and they did. We’ve got to learn to come back after them and switch the momentum.”

Acknowledging what he said was a good mental team effort on familiar turf, Bloemendaal stressed the importance of coping with similar high-pressure situations later in the season.

“The more we’re in those situations, the more we’ll learn how to (win),” Bloemendaal said. “I was really proud of the guys. We had games lasting 10 minutes plus out there — you can’t fight any harder on the court. But we’ve got another level we can play at.”