After IU’s doubleheader Sunday, IU Coach Jeremy Wurtzman gave his players Monday off to recover from the physically demanding matches.
Since then, however, Wurtzman said the Hoosiers have not taken their feet off the gas in practice and have their minds set on success in this weekend’s dual match play.
On Friday, No. 44 IU will face the second-highest-ranked Big Ten team, No. 18 Michigan, at home, and on Sunday IU will welcome Michigan State to Bloomington. The matchups will be IU’s fourth and fifth conference matches of the season.
For the matchup against Michigan, freshman Payam Ahmadi said it is important for the Hoosiers to keep their morale up and support each other either from the side of the court or from matchup to matchup.
He also said those who are not directly involved in the match can also help boost IU’s morale.
“The crowd is great too,” Ahmadi said. “It really keeps the players going. You feed off of that especially when you have the fans that are yelling across the courts, and the women’s team comes out to support too.”
In the last two seasons, IU has been 1-1 against both teams. The Hoosiers beat the Wolverines in 2015 but lost in 2016. However, against the Spartans it was the opposite, and the Hoosiers lost in 2015 and won in 2016.
Wurtzman said it is going to be important for IU to capitalize in doubles play and has had the Hoosiers working on this aspect of the game since Tuesday.
“We have to do a better job in doubles, especially in our home courts,” Wurtzman said. “That is something that we really need to focus in on that match, to come out ready to play and compete for the doubles point. I do not think we can give up in any of those matches. We really need to be competitive in all three of those matches.”
The last time IU beat Michigan it won the doubles point, and senior Stefan Lugonjic was victorious at position two doubles with his partner Chris Essick. Since junior Raheel Manji’s injury, Lugonjic has been playing at position one with sophomore Antonio Cembellin.
Against Michigan State, Wurtzman said it is going to be important to come out ready to compete regardless of the result Friday. He also said the Spartans have given the Hoosiers a hard time in the past.
Two wins this weekend could boost the Hoosiers up in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings after dropping nine spots in this week’s selection.
The matchup versus Michigan will take place at 6 p.m. Friday, and against Michigan State the matchup will begin at 2 p.m. Sunday, both on IU’s indoor courts.
“The best would be getting both those wins,” Ahmadi said. “If we start out with high energy, good intensity, everybody focused in their match, pumping each other up from court to court and if we get that doubles point, it will transfer well into our singles.”
