Men's tennis to face rival Purdue

IU men’s tennis has defeated Purdue eight years in a row. No current Hoosier has tasted the bitterness of defeat, and no current Boilermaker has ever experienced the ecstasy of victory.

That trend will be tested Wednesday when No. 69 IU (13-13, 2-5) travels to West Lafayette to play No. 33 Purdue (13-3, 5-1).

“I think Purdue versus Indiana is always a statement match,” IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said. “There’s a lot of pride in this match. We’ve won this a bunch of times in a row, and my guys are aware of that.”

Bloemendaal has never been a part of a Hoosier team that lost to the Boilermakers.

“We’re Indiana,” Bloemendaal said. “Guys early on made a statement when I took over that we are going to win this match every year.”

Many Hoosiers have experience in West Lafayette. In October, senior Dimitrije Tasic advanced to the finals of the Big Ten Singles Championships at Purdue. Sophomore Daniel Bednarczyk also advanced to the final match of the consolation draw.

“The ability’s there. The level’s been there, but the confidence isn’t because the results aren’t there,” Bloemendaal said. “We’ve been tight and a little nervous in some situations.”

Bloemendaal said he sees last year’s Purdue team in this year’s IU team.

“They had a very similar season last year to what we’re having right now,” Bloemendaal said. “They got beat up and didn’t have a lot of confidence at the end.”

He said he still fully expects his team to leave West Lafayette on Wednesday night with a ninth-straight victory against their in-state rivals.

“That’s what we’re supposed to do,” Bloemendaal said. “We’re not going to throw a party because we beat Purdue. That’s what we do here — we beat Purdue. It’s one of the things on the list.”

Despite some struggles, Bloemendaal still said his players are capable of defeating the higher-ranked Boilermakers.

“We have to find people who are willing to step up in that situation, and those are the people we want representing the team,” Bloemendaal said. “I think we have those guys in the program, and it’s time for them to step up and do it.”

IU does have one thing Purdue does not — Indiana natives.

Purdue has two players from the Hoosier State combining to play one singles match and zero doubles matches.

IU has three players from the Hoosier State who have combined to play 33 singles matches and 26 doubles matches this spring.

“We’ve got guys on the team from Indiana, and they are fully aware of the rivalry,” Bloemendaal said. “And the guys that aren’t know the rivalry from the time they step in here.”

Bloemendaal said if his players come through in high-pressure situations against Purdue, it could define their time as Hoosiers.

“How many people are in line to be champions?” Bloemendaal asked. “Most people don’t want that responsibility. It’s too much pressure for them. Our program is about winning matches and winning championships, not about making excuses.”?