After leaving the below-freezing temperatures in the Midwest, IU men’s tennis traveled to Los Angeles for matchups against No. 7 University of California at Los Angeles and the University of Mississippi as part of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Kickoff Weekend.
The Hoosiers first took on the Bruins, who made the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament last season.
However, IU wasn’t able to close the deal against UCLA, falling 4-1.
IU junior Zac Brodney said he was impressed with the Hoosiers' performance.
“I wouldn’t say anything went wrong, we fought hard,” Brodney said. “Most of the matches were closer than the score looked, but hats off to them.”
Brodney is originally from Los Angeles — he grew up in the area playing against many of the current UCLA players.
After putting up a solid effort against UCLA, Brodney knows that this team can compete with anybody in the country.
“We also showed that we can compete with them," he said. "It was a good learning experience. There’s no fear going forward.”
IU followed up its opening loss with a 4-2 win over Ole Miss.
It was a major victory for the program because the Rebels are fresh off a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2018 and received a few top-25 votes in the ITA rankings poll this week.
“They’ll beat some good teams in the SEC season,” Brodney said. “It’ll be a good win on our resume for NCAA consideration.”
Even just five matches into the season, the Hoosiers continue to chase an NCAA tournament birth, a goal they haven’t accomplished since 2012.
