The moment is here for IU Coach Jeremy Wurtzman and his 12 Hoosier men’s tennis players.
After a preseason filled with strength and conditioning workouts and getting their techniques on point , the Hoosiers now focus more on how to play against their upcoming opponents in order to accomplish their main goal of the season — returning to the NCAA Tournament this spring. On Saturday IU will go on the road to Hanover, New Hampshire, to face Bryant and Dartmouth in its first matchup of the season.
“You really want able to be in excellent physical shape,” Wurtzman said. “I think that was a key that we worked on and they did a good job, as well as hitting a lot of balls and a lot of reps, a lot of serves, returns, a lot of point play and trying to replicate what it is going to feel like when we are playing in the match.”
However, despite the intense training the team had in preseason there are still areas everyone can work on, and they will be looking for things to improve the entire season, Wurtzman said.
Before IU’s first Big Ten matchup against Illinois in February, there will be seven matches, including five home matches, where Wurtzman will have opportunities to work on his team’s dynamics and make corrections.
“The best team in the country is always trying to improve, adapt and work on stuff,” Wurtzman said. “So I would definitely say there is a lot that needs to be worked on and a lot that we do not even know that needs to be worked on.”
In its last season opener IU could not get a win in either of its matches. It lost to North Carolina 4-1 and to Drake 4-2 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Junior Raheel Manji said he seeks to use the experience gained in last year’s season opener to begin this year on a better note to give confidence to the Hoosier lineup for the upcoming matchups.
Manji’s freshman year, IU also faced Dartmouth in its season-opening weekend. He played position three in singles and doubles to get important wins for the team.
The Hoosiers came out on top 4-3 in that matchup against the Big Green and seek to repeat that performance Saturday.
“We are all looking to get out there, support each other and battle,” Manji said. “There is too much excitement for anyone to not be out there battling, wanting every single point and every single win.”
On Saturday IU will play Bryant first at 10 a.m. and Dartmouth at 5 p.m. After the dual matches on the road this weekend, the Hoosiers will have five consecutive games at Bloomington.
Manji said it would be essential for IU to get good results this Saturday in order to show the younger members of the team what IU tennis is up for.
“I want to build the confidence around the team,” Manji said. “Everybody is wondering how good we really are, we have a tighter dual match but the goal is to come out with two W’s.”
