Hoosiers face duo of Big Ten opponents to get back on track

Eager to put a recent dip in form behind them, IU will make its way westward this weekend looking to notch a pair of rare road victories. Iowa and No. 68 Nebraska will comprise the competition for IU, whose away record has slumped to 2-5 in the wake of last weekend’s back-to-back missteps in Michigan.

Unlike last weekend, the Hoosiers will have the benefit of a day’s rest between contests — not to mention an extra hour of preparation thanks to the time change. Central Time will play host to both matches, which are scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Sunday, respectively. 

Though Iowa sports a 1-15 record entering Friday’s fracas with IU, including a 0-5 mark in the Big Ten, the Hawkeyes have taken points from conference foes Nebraska, Penn State, Northwestern and, most notably, Illinois.

Because of this, IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said he is adamant IU maintain the same level of respect it would offer to highly ranked opponents.  

“We’re in no position to approach it any other way,” Bloemendaal said. “It’s a perfect match for us to go in and get some confidence back that we’ve had throughout the season. It’s the right match for us on the road.”

Two days later, the Hoosiers will plunge deeper into the heartland for a crucial battle against the Cornhuskers, a squad Bloemendaal called as talented as any in the Big Ten.

The Cornhuskers, who also play No. 72 Purdue on Friday, currently sit at 8-9 overall but share the same 2-3 conference record as the Hoosiers.  

While Sunday’s matchup of different shades of red will see the Hoosiers and Cornhuskers entrenched in Big Ten competition for the first time, the seniors on each squad will have seen each other once before — in their freshman campaign.

In February 2009, then-newcomer Will Kendall fell short in three sets in the decisive bout, ultimately dooming the Hoosiers to a 4-3 defeat.

“We lost in a nail-biter,” Kendall said. “I lost the deciding match and have been patiently awaiting a rematch for three years.”

Most members of the team, however, will have no motivation of personal revenge to draw from while attempting to down Nebraska.

To prevail against the conference’s western-most contingent, Kendall said he and the rest of the cream and crimson outfit, which took a 10-spot tumble in the rankings released this week, have to rid themselves of the “emotional baggage” that surfaced after last week’s loss to Louisville and carried into the setbacks at Michigan State
and Michigan.

“The backbone of our program is competing from start to finish with energy and body language, battling all day long and taking our opponent’s heart away,” Kendall said. “We suffered a tough blow against Louisville, but now we have to reset our eyes on a Big Ten Championship and shift our mindset to attack (Iowa and Nebraska) with a sense of urgency while exhibiting a renewed sense of pride for the program.”

Two Hoosier netters Bloemendaal will be hoping to see said sense of urgency from are Canadian compatriots Jeremy Langer and Isade Juneau. The pair failed to win a match of any kind in last weekend’s road trip to Michigan, slumping to a couple of doubles defeats as a team and two straight set losses each individually.

The recent inconsistent form of both has Bloemendaal searching for answers heading into the latter half of the Big Ten slate.  

“As far as Jeremy is concerned, he is capable of beating everybody plays,” Bloemendaal said.  “That’s a responsibility that he needs to take care of every time he steps onto the court.  Last weekend, for him to go down and not succeed the way he should—that was difficult to watch.  There’s no one in the Big Ten at the 3 spot he shouldn’t beat.”

Kendall, also, was quick to voice his unwavering support for the abilities of Langer, who is the only other member of this year’s Hoosier squad to have played in singles action against the Cornhuskers. 

“He’s been working hard in practice and doing extra drills with Coach this week to elevate his game,” Kendall said.  “He’s capable of performing at a high standard every day.”