IU Coach Jeremy Wurtzman wants to do more than just get his team plenty of practice time during the Hoosiers' spring break trip under the warm Californian sun.
He also wants his team to keep up its match-play momentum, which has resulted in IU's rise in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Rankings over the past several weeks.
“It definitely shows success and is always nice to move up,” Wurtzman said. “But we definitely want to stay humble, keep working hard and know that we have a lot more in us this season.”
No. 35 IU will seek to get another victory in a match against Texas Tech on Thursday that is part of the team's spring break tour in San Diego which allowed IU to get outdoor practice time in preparation for the rest of the season.
IU is 9-5 overall this season, and has beaten strong opponents like then-No. 32 Washington and Purdue in recent matchups. Texas Tech, on the other hand, is 6-10 with a ranked win against then-No. 50 Alabama.
This season the Red Raiders have faced three Big Ten opponents and lost each time. Two of them were against ranked teams in Illinois and Northwestern, and another defeat came at the hands of Iowa.
However, despite having the teams' records favoring IU, Wurtzman said he does not underestimate the capabilities Texas Tech has and will not take them for granted on Thursday.
The Red Raiders have the No. 63-ranked singles player in Jolan Cailleau from Belgium, who usually plays at position one singles and was once ranked in the top 25 singles players this season.
“Texas Tech is a very good team with very good players,” Wurtzman said. “I think they have had an extremely tough schedule, that they are now finding their way. They are going to be very well prepared.”
Wurtzman also said Texas Tech has more playing time on outdoor courts than IU has had this season, which might play to the Red Raiders' advantage.
Las season, IU lost to Texas Tech 6-1 in a match that also took place in San Diego. At the time, the Red Raiders were ranked No. 10.
After losing the doubles point, the only Hoosier singles player that won his matchup was current sophomore Antonio Cembellin.
Seniors Matthew McCoy and Stefan Lugonjic, junior Raheel Manji and sophomore Afonso Salgado also played in the matchup but failed to win.
On Tuesday, Texas Tech lost to USC in Los Angeles, so the Red Raiders traveled a short distance between their matches against the Trojans and the Hoosiers.
The matchup Thursday will take place in La Jolla, California, and will begin at 3 p.m. Eastern time.
“I think the guys are definitely motivated,” Wurtzman said. “Coming off of winning against Purdue and having success this year. I feel like they are up to the challenge.”
