Indiana men’s tennis is on the road once again this weekend for two matches against ranked opponents. On Friday, the Hoosiers take on No. 47 Nebraska before traveling to Madison on Sunday to take on No. 49 Wisconsin.
The Hoosiers went 1-2 last weekend in three home matches at the IU Tennis Center. March 31 Indiana lost to Northwestern 5-1. Then on April 2, Indiana split a double header with a loss in the morning to Illinois before defeating Saint Louis University later in the day. The Hoosiers are 12-8 overall and 1-2 in Big Ten play.
“This weekend was a lot of tennis for us,” head coach Jeremy Wurtzman said April 2. “I’m glad that we were able to finish with a win.”
The first of two Big Ten matches for Indiana this weekend is against Nebraska. The Cornhuskers hold a 10-7 record and sit at 2-2 in the Big Ten this season.
Nebraska was in Columbus, Ohio and University Park, Pennsylvania last weekend for matches against No. 3 Ohio State and Penn State. The Cornhuskers were swept Friday night by the Buckeyes but responded on Sunday with a 5-1 win over the Nittany Lions.
“They’re another great team,” Wurtzman said Tuesday. “It’s another one of those situations where we’re going to have to be at our best.”
Nebraska has played 12 opponents that are currently ranked in the top 75 with three more such matches on the docket for later this year. Against those ranked opponents, the Cornhuskers are 6-6.
On the flip side, the Hoosiers have played and lost against eight teams currently in the top 75.
Indiana’s opponent of the weekend is No. 49 Wisconsin. The Badgers are 9-7 this season and 2-2 in conference play.
Wisconsin took on Penn State and Ohio State last weekend, beating the Nittany Lions on March 31 and falling to the Buckeyes on April 2.
The Badgers are 7-1 this season at home, where they’ll be to take on the Hoosiers on Sunday. Wisconsin’s lone home loss this season came on March 24 against No. 4 Michigan.
This weekend the Hoosiers will play their third and fourth consecutive Big Ten matches against top 50 opposition.
“The quality of tennis being played in the Big Ten is so high right now,” Wurtzman said. “Everybody is talented, and it takes a lot to win.”
The match against Nebraska is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, and the match against Wisconsin is set for 1 p.m. Sunday.
