(02/15/01 6:01am)
"Noisemakers" was the common response when members of the men's tennis team were asked about their last trip to Ball State. \n"When we went there two years ago they brought out the noisemakers," senior Paul Jacobson said. "They were not courteous at all."\nThe Hoosiers will return 1 p.m. Thursday to the raucous crowd as they take their undefeated record on the road to face the Cardinals.\nSenior Ian Arons remembers the rowdy crowd as well.\n"They get pretty nasty there," Arons said. "They use noisemakers and whatever else they can find to distract you when you are serving. We don't get noisemakers at most of the matches we play because it is against Big Ten rules. It's like a circus."\nCircus or not, the Hoosiers do not plan to play around. Looking to improve to 5-0, coach Ken Hydinger said he expects a tough match with the Cardinals.\n"Ball State is a tough place to compete," Hydinger said. "They really enjoy beating Indiana. It will be a tough trip, and we just have to be geared up and ready to fight."\nJacobson, playing at No. 3 singles, will enter Thursday's match riding an eight-match winning streak. No. 5 Zach Held, a junior, is running a streak of his own, five matches. On the other hand, No. 6 Bernard Tsepelman, a freshman, will be looking to improve on his last performance, a loss to Alex Barragan of Kansas. \n"I really didn't play that well (against Barragan)," Tsepelman said. "I saw stuff I needed to work on. I really need to try to use my forehand to control points."\nControlling points, as well as their focus, will be necessary for the Hoosiers to pull off another win.\n"We just need to stay focused and play our game no matter what the fans are doing," Jacobson said. "It should really be a good match and a tough fight"
(02/12/01 6:06am)
With two matches remaining Saturday, the men's tennis team found its undefeated record in jeopardy. The solution: seniors Milan Rakvica and Ian Arons.\nCarrying a 3-2 match advantage, the No. 24 Hoosiers needed only one victory to clinch the win against visiting Kansas and move to 4-0 on the season.\nBut the Jayhawks did not give up without a fight.\nRakvica and Arons, playing at No. 1 and 2 singles respectively, found themselves down early. With IU in need of a win, the duo stepped into the spotlight. \nRakvica came first. He battled back to take the first set after trailing 3-0 Jayhawk junior Rodrigo Echagaray, but again found himself down three games in the second set. But Rakvica fought back, winning five straight sets to take a 6-4 win and claim the match for the Hoosiers.\n"I started out not playing very well," Rakvica said. "I was broken early, but I got a few lucky shots and was able to get back into the match."\nRakvica deflected being credited for nailing down the win.\n"You really have to give credit to the team," Rakvica said. "The whole team played very well today."\nAt the same time Rakvica was pursuing his victory, Arons was chipping away at an early deficit. After dropping the first set 4-6, Arons battled sophomore Eleazar Magallan nearly point-for-point through the second set, eventually winning 7-5.\nThe team match still undecided, Arons came out strong in the third set, capturing the early lead. Midway through the set, Rakvica closed out his match taking pressure off Arons, but Arons would not let up.\n"I knew either Milan or I needed to win," Arons said. "When Milan won, I knew we had clinched the (team) victory, but I still wanted the (individual) win."\n Arons got his win, taking the third set 6-3 and helping the Hoosiers to a 5-2 victory.\n "I came out a little flat, and it was a little hard to get going," Arons said. "As the match went on, I played more aggressive and kept fighting and pulled through."\n Coach Ken Hydinger said he was pleased to see two of his seniors clinch the win for the team.\n "(Ian and Milan) are tough players, and they work extremely hard," Hydinger said. "I am very happy to see them pick up these wins."\nAlso picking up wins for the Hoosiers were senior Paul Jacobsen (No. 3) sophomore Zach Held (No. 5), and freshman Bernard Tsepelman (No. 6). With their wins, Jacobsen and Held remain undefeated in singles play, while Tsepelman moved to 4-3 for the spring term. The Hoosiers also won at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles to round out the scoring. \n"I think we played well today," Hydinger said. "We had a few loose spots, but the guys stayed positive mentally and fought past those spots, and we were able to get a good win against a good team"
