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(06/02/14 3:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Junior distance runner Rorey Hunter was in sixth place with 20 meters remaining in the 1,500-meter race.Hunter was competing in Jacksonville, Fla., in hopes of making it to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship.The top five finishers would qualify for the NCAA Championships.Hunter won his heat with a time of 3 minutes, 45.85 seconds, in a heat in which the top six runners were separated by two tenths of a second.“Somehow he kept his cool and composure and made a nice move right at the end to slide through a couple guys and get through some traffic and find his way to the front,” IU Coach Ron Helmer said. “That doesn’t happen unless you maintain your composure.”Hunter was a member of the Indiana distance medley relay team that finished third and earned All-America honors earlier this season at the NCAA Indoor Championships.Hunter also won the 1,500 meters at the Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships.Freshman Matt Schwartzer qualified in the 5,000 meters, and he claimed the fourth automatic qualification spot in his heat with a time of 14 minutes, 11.63 seconds.“I think he’s the first freshman I’ve had that has qualified for the national meet in a distance race,” Helmer said. “That’s a very difficult thing to do because typically in the longer distances, it takes time to put the work in place, and it’s usually several years before you can compete at that level.”The first Hoosiers who qualified this weekend were a pair of pole vaulters.Senior Kelsie Ahbe and sophomore Sydney Clute both cleared a meet best of 4.20 meters Friday afternoon. It was a career best jump for Clute.“Those girls work together really well,” Helmer said. “When you have high-level athletes and in one event, one of the things that happen is they learn to work together, and when they work together they respond to one another’s successes.”It will be Ahbe’s third appearance in the NCAA Championships.Three more Hoosiers qualified on Saturday, which was the final day of the competition.Among them was senior shot putter Kyla Buckley, who threw herself into her fourth straight NCAA Championships.That kind of sustained success only occurs if a number of things are present in an athlete, Helmer said.“Number one, you have to be talented enough to be able to perform at this level, and that’s just the beginning point,” Helmer said. “You have to be willing to work, and then you have to love to compete.”Buckley qualified with a mark of 16.98 meters, which was fourth best of the meet.Buckley finished ninth at the NCAA Indoor Championships earlier this year, in addition to winning the Big Ten titles in both the indoor and outdoor seasons.Helmer said he believes Buckley has the potential to compete for a national title.“I think she’s got that kind of a throw in her,” Helmer said. “Again, that’s a tall order. That’s a new challenge, but we’ve seen her throw at that level, so the challenge for her is to throw at that level in what becomes a pretty high pressure situation.”The NCAA Championships will take place at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., where late distance runner Steve Prefontaine excelled many years ago. It is otherwise known as Track Town, USA.Helmer said he is not encapsulated by the mythology of Hayward Field, and this event will be meaningful solely because it is the NCAA Championships.“In my mind this whole Oregon thing is overhyped and not as cool as everybody makes it out to be,” Helmer said. “It’s an NCAA meet, and for that reason it’s special for all these kids.”
(06/02/14 3:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU men’s soccer team allowed 18 goals in its national championship 2012 season.In their attempt to defend their title in 2013, the Hoosiers allowed 38 goals.Phil Fives will join IU’s backline in 2014, according to a press release.Fives will transfer to IU after playing two seasons at the University of Akron.“We are very happy to have Phil join our team,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said. “Phil is a very technical player who can play in midfield or as an outside back.”While in Akron, Fives played in a total of 16 matches, and he started in five.Fives saw his playing time decrease during his sophomore season.After playing in nine matches as a freshman with four starts, Fives played in seven matches with one start in his sophomore campaign.Three of Fives’ seven sophomore appearances came in the postseason for the Zips.“His two years of college experience will be important to help our team fill key roles lost to graduation,” Yeagley said. “His positive attitude and hard-working mentality fits in very well with our returning squad."Fives is the second Akron transfer to join the Hoosiers for the 2014 season.IU announced the addition of rising junior midfielder Matt Foldesy in January.Fives and Foldesy played together with the Cleveland Internationals in high school.Another member of the Cleveland Internationals was IU’s rising redshirt sophomore defender Zach Martin.Fives will not be the only new face for the IU backline this season.The Hoosiers added defenders Grant Lillard, Tim Mehl, Francesco Moore and Trevor Swartz as part of the 2014 freshman class.Michael Hughes
(04/28/14 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The season ended for No. 67 IU Friday when it lost 4-1 against No. 12 Illinois in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. The doubles point was the x-factor in the change from IU’s dramatic 4-3 victory against Minnesota Thursday to their loss to Illinois Friday. Against Minnesota, IU claimed the match’s first point with wins at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles. Against Illinois, IU lost the doubles point at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles.“We had opportunities to win that doubles point,” IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said. “We had match points at No. 3 and we were up a break at No. 1.”Due to rain and thunderstorms leading up to match time, Friday’s match against Illinois was forced inside, giving the Illini an edge, Bloemendaal said.“I think Illinois is a better team inside,” Bloemendaal said. “I’ve always thought their team performs better indoors and this year I felt the same way.”After losing the doubles point, IU needed to win four singles matches to claim the match. That task proved too challenging against an Illinois team that features three First-Team All-Big Ten players in its lineup. No. 1 singles sophomore Samuel Monette appeared primed to earn IU’s first point against the No. 8 player in the country, Illinois sophomore Jared Hiltzik. Monette won the first set 6-3 and was playing as well as he has all year, Bloemendaal said. “Played about as well as I’ve seen anybody in the Big Ten play all year in that first set,” Bloemendaal said. “He didn’t lose his serve for about two hours and 15 minutes and still lost the match.”Monette’s serve remained unbroken throughout the first and second sets. However, Monette was unable to break Hiltzik in the second set, leading to a tiebreak. Hiltzik won the tiebreak and went on to win the third set 6-3 to clinch the match for Illinois.“Jared hit some really good shots,” Bloemendaal said. “Like I’m not talking college level, I’m talking professional level. Those shots would have won any match anywhere.”IU’s only point came from senior Dimitrije Tasic, whose 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 win secured an undefeated Big Ten Tournament from Tasic, IU’s only senior.“I was just really proud of him because over the course of his four years it was kind of a sticking point with me and him that on the road, in tough situations, he wasn’t very consistent,” Bloemendaal said. “He did a great job, a great job. Things really started clicking in his head.”In addition to Tasic, Bloemendaal said, things started clicking for his entire team, leaving the coach remorseful the season is coming to an end.“Honestly, we ran out of season,” Bloemendaal said. “We were really starting to figure things out as a team.”Bloemendaal said he questions what could have been if his team had started playing like this earlier in the season.These questions about his young team left Bloemendaal feeling optimistic for what the future holds.“One of the things we started to talk about was how would we look if we were at this level in January instead of working our way in and hitting a few stumbling blocks,” Bloemendaal said. “These guys are going to work hard going into the summertime, they know the expectations.“Unfortunately we had a season like you’re going to have with a young team. We were trying to do something extraordinary.”
(04/25/14 4:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Only 25 days ago, Minnesota defeated IU 4-3 in Bloomington. Thursday in the Big Ten tournament, No. 67 IU reversed its fortunes by defeating No. 55 Minnesota 4-3.“It was back and forth all day,” IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said. “The question was who was going to catch the momentum.”Junior Sven Lalic entered Thursday’s match without a Big Ten win this season. Lalic won the No. 2 singles match, 6-4, 6-2.“He was really tough out there and kind of what we’ve been expecting all year long came together,” Bloemendaal said. “You’ve seen glimpses before but this was a complete effort. He had great energy, he had great heart and played really tough out there in the tough moment.”Freshman Matthew McCoy entered Thursday’s match with just one match of Big Ten experience. The Bloomington native won 7-6, 3-6, 7-6 at No. 6 singles to clinch the match for IU.“It was great to see a freshman step up and really get gritty,” Bloemendaal said. “He was down a break in the third set and came back and won it. It really looked like Hoosier tennis there where he just grinded it out.”Bloemendaal said he saw his team grow up on the court today, especially McCoy.“If he is able to digest this and move forward it’s like six months of practice,” he said. “He should really take off at this point.”IU also picked up a point at No. 4 singles, where IU’s lone senior Dimitrije Tasic won 6-3, 6-3.Tasic also served a large role in IU’s doubles point victory.Entering the tournament Bloemendaal said winning the doubles point would be crucial for his team’s success.With wins in the No. 1 and No. 2 doubles matches, IU won the doubles point, unlike the last time the two teams played.“Minnesota jumped on us again in doubles like they did when we were at home,” Bloemendaal said. “No. 2 doubles was a rock all day, I think that was the best they’ve played all year long.”The No. 2 doubles team of Lalic and Tasic won 8-3, and were in control for the duration of the match.The No. 1 doubles team of sophomores Daniel Bednarczyk and Samuel Monette did not follow the same path. The Canadians were down a break early, needing to win to give IU a 1-0 lead. The duo eventually won 8-7.“I thought Sam did some good things, they both did some good things actually,” Bloemendaal said. “Sam did a lot of good things but Dan did a lot of good stuff to get them into that position in the breaker.”Thursday afternoon, Monette was recognized as a Second Team All-Big Ten athlete for men’s tennis by the conference. He finished the regular season 20-10 in singles, splitting time at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles positions. IU will now play No. 11 Illinois in the second round. Earlier this season, Illinois defeated IU 7-0 in Bloomington.Bloemendaal said he is not intimidated by the teams’ last meeting nor Illinois’ rankings. He said the seniorless team is “very beatable.”In order for IU to beat Illinois, the Hoosiers will need to maintain the momentum and confidence that they gained against Minnesota, he said.“We got to keep it rolling because it’s a tournament,” Bloemendaal said. “We got to wake up tomorrow and be ready to go.”?
(04/25/14 2:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>First and Second All-Big Ten teams were announced Thursday at the Big Ten Tournament banquet. IU sophomore Samuel Monette was IU’s only player on either team, making Second Team All-Big Ten.Monette finished the regular season 20-10 in singles, splitting time at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles positions. After his freshman season, Monette was named First-Team All-Big Ten.Monette’ selection marks the seventh straight time a Hoosier has been selected to an All-Big Ten team under IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal’s instruction.Senior Dimitrije Tasic was the sportsmanship honoree from IU. Last year’s recipient was current sophomore Chris Essick.?
(04/24/14 3:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Last fall, the IU men’s soccer team did not perform up to preseason expectations but qualified for the NCAA Tournament by winning the Big Ten Tournament. The IU men’s tennis team is trying to do the same this spring.No. 67 IU begins this quest against No. 55 Minnesota on Thursday. IU lost 4-3 against Minnesota earlier this season in Bloomington.IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said prior experience against Minnesota will prove beneficial to his young team.“I think it helps a lot,” Bloemendaal said. “I think in tennis visualization is important, and when you’ve seen the guy across the net and you know how he’s going to play, it makes a difference.”There will be two main changes between this match and when the two teams last met in March.This match will be played in East Lansing, Mich., rather than Bloomington. IU is 1-9 away from home, and was defeated by Michigan State in East Lansing last weekend.“We learned a really hard lesson over the weekend,” Bloemendaal said. “I think it’s going to help us, no doubt about it. I think we’re going to be ready to go.”In addition to the change of venue, IU will have sophomore Samuel Monette healthy and in the lineup. An elbow injury prevented Monette from helping IU try and stave off defeat against the Spartans in March.Monette has split time at No. 1 and No. 2 singles this season, as well as No. 1 and No. 2 doubles.Bloemendaal said the doubles point could be a critical part of the match, especially because of what Bloemendaal calls question marks in his singles lineup.“We need to win the doubles point to set the tone,” Bloemendaal said. “Then we need to find three singles matches to win. The bottom of our lineup has been a huge question mark, then you throw (Sven) Lalic in there and you have three question marks before you start the match.”Lalic, a junior, has lost all 10 of his Big Ten singles matches this season. Though his competition has been stiff — he plays at No. 1 and No. 2 singles — Bloemendaal said it is time for Lalic to step up.“Lalic is more than good enough,” Bloemendaal said. “He should be All-Big Ten material. It’s not the physical third holding him back — the skill set is good enough.”Bloemendaal said this weekend could be a fresh beginning not only for Lalic, but for the entire team.“I look at this tournament as a reset,” Bloemendaal said. “Start from the postseason and try to write the story we wanted to write all along.”All season Bloemendaal has said that story’s final chapter will be the NCAA Tournament.In addition to the IU men’s soccer team, Bloemedaal said he has regaled his team with the tale of the 1983 North Carolina State basketball team.The Hoosiers have seen the “30 for 30” documentary on the Wolfpack. Now, they will try to survive and advance in the Big Ten tournament.“We’re going to hit reset, forget everything that’s happened and try to win this tournament,” Bloemendaal said.
(04/23/14 2:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As a freshman, Chris Essick competed in 33 singles matches. This year, as a sophomore, Essick has played in seven.IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said he believes it takes 18 months to fully adjust to college tennis. In September of this season, Essick was at the 12-month point in this process — when a player begins to really improve, according to Bloemendaal’s model.During the first tournament of the fall 2013 season, the Navy National All-Conference Invitational, Essick went 0-3 in singles and 1-2 in doubles.He said he felt exhausted the entire tournament, and decided to go to the doctor.Essick had contracted mononucleosis. “I was pretty upset,” Essick said. “I had started playing really well. It was after the Navy tournament I found out, and I wasn’t able to go to the Big Ten Championships with the team, so I was pretty bummed about that. Then I was out for four or five weeks, I think.”During these weeks, Essick was unable to practice or go to class. Bloemendaal said this gave Essick time to assess the situation he was in.“I think any time you’re hit with adversity, you start to look inward,” Bloemendaal said. “I think he’s a really good person, and he’s turned into a strong man. It was kind of fun to watch him go through that part of it and analyze where he was at in life and see what he wanted to do.”While Essick’s singles play was hurt, his doubles play remained undeterred, for the most part.“I think doubles is one of my strong points because I have a partner with me,” Essick said. “I’m able to focus on them and not myself, and be able to use them as an advantage unlike I do in singles, when I fight against myself.”Essick has now begun to recover in singles play as well. Though he competed in 26 fewer singles matches this year, he has played five of those seven matches in the last month.The Fishers, Ind., native said he has improved since last season, but he still questions how far along in his development he could be had he not missed those crucial weeks of practice.He attributed his physical drive as a primary factor in his recovery time.“I’ve just been pushing myself physically,” Essick said. “I’ve been practicing on my own sometimes or with a teammate, but there’s not too much I could have done differently to change it. A lot of it is on the off days. I would just be doing an hour or so of practicing. Some people don’t do that, but it set me forward and helped me out in the long run to get back to where I needed to be.”The results may not be immediate, Bloemendaal said, but the recovery process will prove beneficial in the long run.“The skill set is there for him,” Bloemendaal said. “He has the physical attributes to be great. He really needed to blend together the mental, emotional and the physical. I think that was missing before all of that happened. He started thinking about things differently during that time.”?
(04/18/14 2:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After beating Penn State last Sunday, the No. 59 IU men’s tennis team has two more chances to bolster its NCAA tournament chances against No. 49 Michigan and Michigan State.Sunday marked what IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal called a breakthrough for IU and could serve as a starting point for a postseason run.“We have been playing well, but now we’re coming off a little bit of confidence after Sunday’s win,” Bloemendaal said. “I think we’re in a good position for the guys to win a lot in a row.”IU is 3-6 and tied for eighth in the Big Ten. Michigan State is also 3-6, while Michigan is 4-5. This weekend could have a large effect on Big Ten Tournament seeding and potential postseason berths.“It’s good prep for what’s to come,” Bloemendaal said. “In the postseason you lose and you’re out, and I think we’re getting into that a week ahead of time, or maybe two weeks ahead of time.”Bloemendaal said his team will need to play better than it did Sunday against Penn State to leave Michigan with two wins.“I feel like on the road, you need to be 10 to 15 percent better than your opponent,” Bloemendaal said. “To be 10 to 15 percent better, I feel like we have to be better than we were on Sunday. That’s what we’ve been working on this week.”On paper, Michigan appears the more difficult match. The Wolverines are ranked 10 spots higher than IU, have a singles player ranked a spot higher than IU sophomore Samuel Monette and have a doubles team ranked 28 spots higher than Monette and sophomore Daniel Bednarczyk.Despite the Hoosiers looking the weaker team on paper, Bloemendaal said the numbers do not fully tell the story of this match.“At this point in the season, Michigan’s a little bit shaky with their confidence,” Bloemendaal said. “They’ve been knocked back a little bit further than we have in the last month.“If we can continue to compete the way we’re competing, our confidence should be higher match to match.”Though Michigan State’s overall record of 9-13 may appear unimpressive, its home record of 8-1 is what makes this match a difficult one, Bloemendaal said.Michigan State’s one loss at home was against No. 1 Ohio State, a team that has not lost in the Big Ten this season.IU won April 6 at Iowa, and Bloemendaal said IU was in a great position to win April 9 at Purdue. Those were IU’s last two road matches before this weekend.“The first time is the hardest,” Bloemendaal said. “I’m not saying that the next ones won’t be hard, because they will be. When the pressure hits everything evens out and now we’ve done it against a higher ranked team. “This team is talented, but we haven’t been playing that well. We’re talking a lot about what we need to do in order to compete hard in every match and let the tennis take care of itself.”
(04/11/14 3:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Match time against Minnesota was approaching. The final note of the national anthem had just been sung, and the team was gathering for their pre-match huddle.But something was missing. Senior Dimitrije Tasic had run inside for a pair of pants before match time. The 13 other members of the team seemed confused. Who would lead?That was not a question at the beginning of the season, when there was only one possible answer. Tasic is the only senior on the men’s tennis team this year. He’s also the only player with more than two years of Division I experience. For IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal, there was only one option.“If it had been two or three people, he wouldn’t have grown this much, so I looked at it as an opportunity,” Bloemendaal said. “He’s really benefited from being a part of that opportunity.”Tasic’s journey to leadership has not been an easy one. His first three years at IU, Tasic was passive and reluctant.“It made me more accountable for my words, more credible for my words and it made me feel that I need to step up and be someone who others can follow,” Tasic said. “It made me more able to make certain decisions which I previously would not have been able to do.”The process of becoming a player others could follow was challenging. Both Tasic and Bloemendaal acknowledged the difficulty that leading a team of 14 can be for one person and he said that challenge has changed him both on and off the court.“I think it’s given him a ton of confidence,” Bloemendaal said. “I think he had this vision of wanting to do this. I don’t think he fully understood what it all meant. But you have to want to do that, you have to want to be a good leader. He hasn’t backed away, and it hasn’t been easy for him.”Tasic has not changed entirely. His style of leadership is still one of affability and friendliness.“Sometimes the team can see something that is going on,” Tasic said. “They recognize what problems the team has and give me suggestions on what we can do better.”Tasic said being a leader for IU has had a substantial effect on his tennis game as well. On the court this season, Tasic has split time at No. 3 and No. 4 singles and No. 1 and No. 2 doubles.“At the end of the day it looks more aggressive,” Bloemendaal said. “Most of the changes were made before I stepped on the court, but it definitely looks more aggressive, more determined and more disciplined.”When asked to reflect on his time at IU, Tasic talked about wins. He helped IU to two of its five NCAA tournament appearances since 1997. As a sophomore he was a part of the most successful team in IU men’s tennis history.That team won a school-record 24 matches and won the second NCAA Tournament match in school history against Louisville. The clinching point in that match came from Tasic, who won 6-4, 7-6 at No. 6 singles.Tasic didn’t want to talk about that match, though. He said that individual wins are meaningless.His favorite moments are not triumphant, heroic or gallant, he said.“I can’t highlight a single moment,” Tasic said. “Every day was a challenge, but at the end of each day I could say I made progress, and that’s what was most significant about being a part of this program.”Tasic said he will continue to try and improve every day leading up to his final home match Sunday against Penn State. He said he is still in disbelief that his time in Bloomington will soon end.“I just can’t believe it. It went too fast,” Tasic said. “I’ll try like I do every match and try to bring a win from my court to our team. That’s the best I can do.”?
(04/11/14 3:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>No. 69 IU men’s tennis will play No. 16 Penn State, its 18th ranked opponent of the season, on Sunday. IU has won just three of those 18 matches this season.This match will be the first time back on the court for the Hoosiers after losing to the Boilermakers for the first time in eight years Wednesday.Sunday will also serve as senior day for IU’s lone senior Dimitrije Tasic.“I think he’s someone who’s very well respected and very well liked within the program,” IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said. “I think it gives us an opportunity to rally around him after Purdue.”Bloemendaal said he sees the honoring of Tasic as something that can motivate the team to return from the tough match against Purdue.IU won the doubles point and five of six first sets against Purdue. Bloemendaal said maintaining leads has been IU’s biggest detractor this season.He also said his team needs to grab another early lead against Penn State.“It’s always important to get out to leads,” Bloemendaal said. “But the very thing we’ve struggled with this season is not getting out to leads, but holding on once we have the leads. We’ve done a pretty good job of getting leads all year long and a very below average job of finishing matches.”This will not be easy, as Penn State boasts one of the top doubles teams in the country. The Nittany Lions have won 19 of 21 doubles points in 2014.“I’m expecting that to be a tough part of the match,” Bloemendaal said. “I don’t think they’re unbeatable if we lose the doubles, but I think it’s an important part of the match.”IU has beaten Penn State three years in a row — something Bloemendaal said has him thinking optimistically before Sunday.“We’ve beaten those guys,” Bloemendaal said. “It’s kind of a weird situation because they’re having a great season, but we have guys in our lineup that have beat Penn State.”Sophomores Daniel Bednarczyk and Samuel Monette both won their respective singles and doubles matches against the Nittany Lions last season.Tasic is 2-1 in his individual career against Penn State.“In tennis it doesn’t matter how well you’re playing,” Bloemendaal said. “If you’ve beaten the guy a couple of times, it’s really hard for the other guy to get over that emotionally, even if the other guy is better.”Bloemendaal said he expects Sunday to be a tightly contested match, as no team has a clear advantage over the other.“I don’t see a spot where they’re clearly better than us, and I don’t see a spot where we’re clearly better than them,” Bloemendaal said. “I think they’re slightly better than us, but it’s a slim margin between the two.”Bloemendaal said he is confident in his team’s mental fortitude and its ability to make the Purdue match a mere speck in its rearview mirror.“I attribute that to (Tasic) and the leadership within the team and the character of these guys,” Bloemendaal said. “I don’t think that’s going away, so I think we’re going to show up for Sunday and be ready to go.”?
(04/10/14 3:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Before Wednesday, the last time IU lost to Purdue, IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal was coaching at Charleston Southern University. That was eight years ago.The Hoosiers lost to Purdue 5-2 Wednesday.“We got our first road win last week in Iowa,” Bloemendaal said. “Purdue is a pretty hot team. Winning today was not going to be an easy task.”The match started well for the Hoosiers. With wins at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles, IU claimed the doubles point. Purdue was just 1-3 in matches where they lost the doubles point this season.IU won the first set in five of six singles matches.“We were up the point of doubles and we won first sets,” Bloemendaal said. “Guys were playing well. It was still going to be a tough match, but we definitely had the momentum.”The Hoosiers then lost the second set in five of six singles matches and all four third sets that were played.“We just didn’t have the same energy to start the second,” Bloemendaal said. “We were a little tight carrying the lead for about five to 10 minutes.”Wednesday marked the sixth time this season IU has failed to win after winning the doubles point.“There wasn’t a defining thing that Purdue did,” Bloemendaal said. “We played well in first and had to carry leads, and I didn’t see every court, but it looked like we let them back in the match. We haven’t carried leads well all year.”The only Hoosier to win in singles was sophomore Samuel Monette, winning 6-1, 6-3 at No. 2.“Sam did a great job out there,” Bloemendaal said. “After he won the first set he just came out with the same energy. He didn’t raise his game, just stayed consistent.”Purdue’s singles lineup boasted four players with at least three years of Division I experience. IU has just one starter with that amount of experience, senior Dimitrije Tasic.“We needed our leader to step up big time today,” Bloemendaal said. “He is definitely feeling it right now.”It looked like IU might still come away with the victory late, with Purdue leading the overall match 3-2. Sophomore Daniel Bednarczyk trailed 5-2 in the third set. Purdue senior Mark Kovacs needed just one more game to clinch the match for the Boilermakers.“Kovacs is having a great year,” Bloemendaal said. “He’s won a lot of tough matches this season. There were a lot of defining moments in the second set of that match.”He came back and tied it 5-5 in the third set. Sophomore Elliott Yee was also tied 5-5 in his third set. Bloemendaal said he felt like the match was there for the taking at that moment.Bednarczyk and Yee lost their third sets 7-5 and 7-6, respectively, sealing the victory for Purdue.“There was no doubt about how hard we fought out there today,” Bloemendaal said. “We came really close to beating a really good team that wanted to beat us more than anything. That’s Indiana versus Purdue.”?
(04/09/14 3:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU men’s tennis has defeated Purdue eight years in a row. No current Hoosier has tasted the bitterness of defeat, and no current Boilermaker has ever experienced the ecstasy of victory.That trend will be tested Wednesday when No. 69 IU (13-13, 2-5) travels to West Lafayette to play No. 33 Purdue (13-3, 5-1).“I think Purdue versus Indiana is always a statement match,” IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said. “There’s a lot of pride in this match. We’ve won this a bunch of times in a row, and my guys are aware of that.”Bloemendaal has never been a part of a Hoosier team that lost to the Boilermakers.“We’re Indiana,” Bloemendaal said. “Guys early on made a statement when I took over that we are going to win this match every year.”Many Hoosiers have experience in West Lafayette. In October, senior Dimitrije Tasic advanced to the finals of the Big Ten Singles Championships at Purdue. Sophomore Daniel Bednarczyk also advanced to the final match of the consolation draw.“The ability’s there. The level’s been there, but the confidence isn’t because the results aren’t there,” Bloemendaal said. “We’ve been tight and a little nervous in some situations.”Bloemendaal said he sees last year’s Purdue team in this year’s IU team.“They had a very similar season last year to what we’re having right now,” Bloemendaal said. “They got beat up and didn’t have a lot of confidence at the end.”He said he still fully expects his team to leave West Lafayette on Wednesday night with a ninth-straight victory against their in-state rivals.“That’s what we’re supposed to do,” Bloemendaal said. “We’re not going to throw a party because we beat Purdue. That’s what we do here — we beat Purdue. It’s one of the things on the list.”Despite some struggles, Bloemendaal still said his players are capable of defeating the higher-ranked Boilermakers.“We have to find people who are willing to step up in that situation, and those are the people we want representing the team,” Bloemendaal said. “I think we have those guys in the program, and it’s time for them to step up and do it.”IU does have one thing Purdue does not — Indiana natives.Purdue has two players from the Hoosier State combining to play one singles match and zero doubles matches.IU has three players from the Hoosier State who have combined to play 33 singles matches and 26 doubles matches this spring.“We’ve got guys on the team from Indiana, and they are fully aware of the rivalry,” Bloemendaal said. “And the guys that aren’t know the rivalry from the time they step in here.”Bloemendaal said if his players come through in high-pressure situations against Purdue, it could define their time as Hoosiers.“How many people are in line to be champions?” Bloemendaal asked. “Most people don’t want that responsibility. It’s too much pressure for them. Our program is about winning matches and winning championships, not about making excuses.”?
(04/07/14 3:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A week after winning their first Big Ten match, No. 69 IU (13-13, 2-6) won its first road match of the season.IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said he was still left wanting more.“It was a tough weekend,” Bloemendaal said. “We got our first road victory which was good. The Nebraska match was a little closer than what it looked like in the end.”A day before defeating Iowa (9-9, 1-5) 4-3 the Hoosiers lost against No. 66 Nebraska (10-9, 2-3) 6-1.The weekend started unpredictably. The match against Nebraska, which was originally scheduled for Friday afternoon, was rescheduled to Saturday morning due to flight delays out of Indianapolis.“Nebraska’s pretty good and it was a tough situation with our travel problems,” Bloemendaal said. “I thought it was a tough match all the way around and I thought we didn’t handle the adversity as well as we could have.”The only Hoosier to record a point against Nebraska was sophomore Daniel Bednarczyk, winning 7-5, 6-4 at No. 3 singles.Bednarczyk followed that performance with a 6-0, 6-4 victory at Iowa, again at No. 3 singles.“He’s just starting to get confident out there on the court,” Bloemendaal said. “He’s starting to strike the ball well, playing confident and he’s figuring out what he needs to do in the tough situations.”Bednarczyk was also the only Hoosier to win against both Nebraska and Iowa in singles, accentuating the struggles IU has experienced concerning consistency, Bloemendaal said.“I don’t think we’re confident enough yet across the board to feel like these situations are going to get easier,” Bloemendaal said. “We just have to battle. I thought we battled hard against Nebraska. We just didn’t bring our A-game, it was more like our C-game.”Bednarczyk also assisted in helping the Hoosiers regain their prowess in doubles play with two wins at No. 1 doubles with his partner sophomore Samuel Monette.IU snapped a four-match Big Ten losing streak in doubles against Iowa, winning at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles.“We played pretty tight doubles against Nebraska,” Bloemendaal said. “Iowa actually played much better against us than Nebraska did, we just outplayed them.”Monette also won his first Big Ten match of the season against Iowa, 6-4, 6-3. An elbow injury sidelined Monette last weekend, and his return had a less than substantial effect, on the singles results Bloemendaal said.“(Monette’s) impact was very subtle,” Bloemendaal said. “I definitely thinks it helps in doubles, but I didn’t see an overall impact in singles.”IU has four matches remaining this season all of them against ranked opponents. Three of them will be played away from Bloomington.“I think we take them one at a time,” Bloemendaal said. “We’ve been talking a lot about how we want to go about this last part of the season. We’ve got a storyline and we’re going to try and follow it. We came through in a road match. Now we have to step up the level a little bit and see if we can do it.”
(04/04/14 3:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU (12-12, 1-4) is 0-5 on the road this season, but IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said he thinks his team will turn it around this weekend.After winning its first Big Ten match last weekend No. 69 IU travels to No. 66 Nebraska and unranked Iowa for an opportunity to win its first road match.“We’ve tweaked a few things on the road that have helped us out quite a bit,” Bloemendaal said. “We still haven’t performed at the level that I think we’re capable of.”The Hoosiers might also have the advantage of sophomore Samuel Monette in the lineup this weekend. Monette was sidelined by an elbow injury last weekend against Wisconsin and Minnesota.Monette has alternated time between No. 1 and No. 2 singles and No. 1 and No. 2 doubles. The sophomore is the No. 93 singles player in the country. Neither Iowa nor Nebraska have any ranked singles players.The Canada native pairs with sophomore Daniel Bednarczyk to form the No. 66 doubles team in the country. Once again, neither the Cornhuskers nor the Hawkeyes have any ranked doubles pairings.This potential return could also have an effect on the entire doubles lineup. Before losing both doubles points last weekend, IU had won 14 of 20 doubles points.Bloemendaal said winning that doubles point becomes even more important on the road than at home for his team. Part of the team’s struggle last weekend was its difficulty adjusting to playing outdoors.“As much as our team is built for playing outdoors in singles, in doubles I really build them around quick stuff so it helps them more indoors than outdoors,” Bloemendaal said. “Once we make those adjustments in doubles, we’re there.”Though IU is currently in last place in the Big Ten, wins against Nebraska (9-9, 1-3) and Iowa (9-7, 1-3) could propel the Hoosiers as high as fourth.Bloemendaal said he recognizes the magnitude of this weekend, but remains cautious of both Iowa and Nebraska.He said Friday’s match against Nebraska could come down to the weather conditions.“I’ve looked at some of their outdoor stuff, and it wasn’t very impressive,” Bloemendaal said. “If we play indoors, I think it will be a tough day for us against Nebraska.”Sunday’s opponent, Iowa, is 8-0 at home this season. Bloemendaal said he recognizes the challenge but still thinks his team can win.“Iowa is a little bit tricky because they’re really good at the bottom,” Bloemendaal said. “They’ve got a couple holes in their lineup no matter how they shake it up. In doubles, they’ve been mixing it up a lot.”Bloemendaal said he feels good about last week’s win coupled with his team’s progression the last few weeks.“I’m pretty optimistic about this weekend, honestly,” Bloemendaal said. “The other road matches at the start, it was a building process. But right now, I think we’re close to putting it all together.”?
(03/31/14 3:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU sophomore Daniel Bednarczyk yelled triumphantly as he prepared for a third set. He just won a second-set tiebreak following a dramatic break of Minnesota’s Ruben Weber’s serve. A third set victory would secure a weekend sweep and IU’s first two Big Ten wins.Bednarczyk lost the third set 6-4.No. 65 IU’s 4-3 loss against No. 50 Minnesota was bittersweet after the Hoosiers defeated No. 62 Wisconsin 4-3 Friday.“We’re not happy with it,” IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said. “We really thought we were going 2-0. I knew after we beat Wisconsin that it was going to be tough emotionally. It takes you a while with a young team to go through what we went through with Wisconsin and get back up to that level.”IU played both matches without the presence of sophomore Samuel Monnete. Monette was sidelined with an elbow injury, frcing changes in both the singles and doubles lineups.Bloemendaal moved sophomore Chris Essick to Monette’s spot at No. 2 doubles alongside Bednarczyk. The pairing of sophomores Michael Sellitto and Elliott Yee also started at No. 3 doubles for the fifth and sixth times this season.The changes in doubles were evident, as the Hoosiers lost both doubles points. This was the first time IU has lost back-to-back doubles points since the first week of February.“Different combos at this time of year are tough,” Bloemendaal said. “I felt like early in the year we would have four or five strong doubles teams, and it never quite happened that way. And we got in this situation and it showed up.”IBednarczyk was moved to No. 2 in singles, the first time he has competed that high in the lineup in his collegiate career. Bloemendaal also inserted Essick at No. 5 singles and Sellitto at No. 6.Essick and Sellitto combined to go 4-0 this weekend despite their inexperience. The pair played a combined four singles matches before Friday.“We got some opportunities for some guys to step up, and those two definitely did,” Bloemendaal said. “I think everybody is stepping up, it’s just at different paces.”Bloemendaal said another factor in the tight loss against Minnesota was the crowd, or lack thereof.“I wish we would have kept that crowd there until the very end,” Bloemendaal said. “A callout to Indiana fans out there — it would make a huge difference if we had all those guys there at the end of that one. There was a certain point in that match where it was a great atmosphere. If they could hang in there until the end, that would be great.”IU fans only have one more opportunity to pledge their support, however, as IU plays five of its last six matches away from Bloomington.Bloemendaal said he still firmly believes his team will finish the season strong.“This team is going to make a late-season run,” Bloemendaal said. “I would not be surprised. I would not be surprised at all if they had a good April and play their best tennis going into the postseason.”
(03/28/14 3:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU men’s tennis team has lost seven straight matches against ranked opponents. The Hoosiers play two more this weekend.On Friday No. 65 IU (10-11, 0-3) plays No. 62 Wisconsin (9-7, 1-2) and IU faces No. 50 Minnesota (8-7, 2-1) Sunday. Both matches will be played at home.This weekend may be the first time competitive tennis is played outdoors in Bloomington this year. The weather forecast predicts clear skies and sun shine come match time Friday and Sunday.IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said outdoor tennis differs from indoor tennis in that the game is slower outside. There is more point construction and less first exchange, meaning the points are longer and more grueling.Bloemendaal said this change of style might be enough to change IU’s fortunes. “Our team is built to be able to play well outdoors,” Bloemendaal said. “That’s where postseason matches are played and we build our teams for the postseason.”Though the team might be built for the postseason, the Hoosiers first have to reach the postseason. IU currently has zero wins against ranked opponents, the top 75, with 11 losses.The task will not get easier this weekend, as one of IU’s top players likely will be unable to play.Bloemendaal gave sophomore Sam Monette “close to a zero percent” chance of playing this weekend because of an elbow injury.Monette has split time at No. 1 and No. 2 singles positions going 11-8. Monette and his double partner sophomore Daniel Bednarczyk have also split time at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles going 13-5.If Monette is unable to play this weekend, Bloemendaal said that he will pair Bednarczyk with sophomore Chris Essick. Essick has played 13 matches at No. 3 doubles, going 6-3 with partner Stefan Lugonjic.Bloemendaal also said the pairing of freshman Matthew McCoy and sophomore Elliott Yee will play No. 3 doubles if Monette does not play. The two have yet to play together this year in doubles.Despite this setback, Bloemendaal still said he likes his team’s chances in both matches this weekend.“I think we have a lot of advantages against Wisconsin,” Bloemendaal said. “I really think that they don’t have any spots on the team where they’re better than us, even when we pull out a guy.”The Badgers are without a ranked player in singles, and without a ranked pairing in doubles.Bloemendaal said he sees more of a challenge against Minnesota.“They’re really good at the top,” Bloemendaal said. “They’ve performed a lot better than us at No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3.”The Gophers’ No. 1 singles player, junior Leandro Toledo, is the No. 66 singles player in the country and is 11-4 this year.Bloemendaal said he is trying to not let his team focus on the severity of its next two matches.“I’m trying not to think about having to win,” Bloemendaal said. “We’re getting put in must-win situations. Everyone can see that from the outside but we’re not talking about it that way. We’re talking more about wiping the slate clean, making a run in the Big Ten season and getting some confidence going.”
(03/26/14 4:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As junior Sven Lalic sat on the field of Memorial Stadium, soaking in the Bloomington afternoon sunshine, he uttered five simple words.“I am 100 percent Hoosier,” Lalic said.This is Lalic’s first year on the IU men’s tennis team after transferring from Armstrong Atlantic State. While in Savannah, Ga., Lalic finished the 2013 season ranked No. 4 in singles while helping his team win a Division II national championship. Lalic still says coming to IU was one of the best decisions of his life.“Armstrong Atlantic State was a good Division II program,” Lalic said. “But I always wanted to play in Division I.”Lalic’s transfer to IU was not immediately set in stone. Originally, Lalic’s scholarship was filled by the No. 1-ranked juniors player in the world before the player became academically ineligible to compete in the NCAA.“I got to the end of the year before I figured out his situation, so we had a scholarship open up,” IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said. “I know the coach at Sven’s old program, and I know the situation of where he was going to stack up with our guys.”Bloemendaal said he is thrilled with the addition of Lalic to his program.The coach said Lalic’s ability on the court, as well as his leadership and maturity off of it, was perfect for the young Hoosier team.Another key factor in Lalic’s transfer to IU was the presence of current IU senior Dimitrije Tasic. Their history dates back to their days competing against one another in the Balkan states.“I’ve known Dima (Tasic) since I was 12, and he told me about the school,” Lalic said. “I knew about the tradition here and how big IU is, so I think it was the right decision to come here.”Early in Lalic’s recruitment, Tasic received an email from Bloemendaal asking about Lalic. Tasic said the response was easy.“I was very thrilled when Coach sent me an email asking about Sven,” Tasic said. “Sven was one of my best friends from juniors, and I knew that his personality would completely align with what Coach is looking for.”Lalic hails from Bosnia while Tasic was born in Serbia. The political relations of these two countries have not been friendly. It’s the polar opposite of Lalic and Tasic’s relationship.“It’s politicians who enjoy those tensions, not people like us,” Tasic said.The pair likens themselves to brothers, and Lalic credits Tasic as the deciding factor concerning his transfer to IU.“I came here because of Dima. He was a big plus for me to come here,” Lalic said. “I was talking to a couple of schools, but he really convinced me to come here.”Bloemendaal said the pair jokes about the supposed tension between them. He praised the character of both men, saying they both represent their respective countries with class and dignity.“In sports, you can be the ambassador of your country,” Bloemendaal said. “You can get people to think differently of your country than what they see politically. Both of them are great ambassadors for their country.”
(03/25/14 4:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU entered spring break losers of five straight against ranked opponents. That streak grew to seven.No. 70 IU lost Sunday March 16 at No. 37 Texas Tech 4-2, and lost again Sunday March 23 at home against No. 9 Illinois 7-0.Those two losses coupled with a 7-0 victory against unranked Morehead State brought the Hoosiers record to 10-11, 0-3. This record combined with a lack of quality victories is not enough in IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal's mind to qualify for the NCAA tournament."I think we're running out of season," Bloemendaal said. "We're going to make a run at the end of the season. Today was disappointing, but they came right back out and handled the pressure."In Lubbock, things started anything but predictably. The match which was originally scheduled to take place outdoors was moved inside due to severe wind conditions. Then, a decision was made to forgo the doubles point due to time constraints.A week later back in Bloomington, an attempt was made to try and reverse IU's fortune. Sophomore Samuel Monette was moved down to No. 2 singles while junior Sven Lalic was moved to No. 1.In addition freshman Stefan Lugonjic was moved from No. 6 to No. 5, freshman Matthew McCoy was inserted at No. 6 and sophomore Elliott Yee was given the day off due to recent struggles.All these changes had little to no effect on the final product as not only did IU lose every match against the Illini. They also forced just two third sets at the positions in the lineup which remain unchanged, sophomore Daniel Bednarczyk No. 3 and senior Dimitrije Tasic at No. 4."I feel like it's healthy for the team, it keeps guys moving and competing for spots," Bloemendaal said. "That's what we need right now and nobody's really sewn up any positions."The Hoosiers also lost the doubles point, the second time they have done so in the last twelve matches. This affected the rest of the match according to Tasic."We are a team that is used to winning doubles," Tasic said. "The problem is when we don't get it a couple guys just completely shut down."Despite these struggles Tasic believes his team still has a shot to qualify for the NCAA tournament."I think we still have a very good chance," Bloemendaal said. "We have eight Big Ten matches left and we've played the best Big Ten teams so far. We've experienced losses and I think we learned some things from those matches and I think from now on the team is only going to go forward."The schedule will not get any easier for the Hoosiers, as seven of their next eight opponents are ranked. Bloemendaal would not have it any other way."We need it," Bloemendaal said. "It doesn't matter whether we like it or not, we absolutely need it. We need it to continue to get better because that's the bar. We aren't going to lower the bar in this program. We need to have to have ranked wins to get to the postseason so those give us that opportunity."
(03/25/14 2:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU men’s tennis team entered spring break having lost five straight matches against ranked opponents. During spring break, that losing streak grew to seven.No. 70 IU lost 4-2 March 16 at No. 37 Texas Tech, and lost again Sunday at home, 7-0 against No. 9 Illinois.Those two losses, coupled with a 7-0 victory against unranked Morehead State, brought the Hoosiers’ record to 10-11, 0-3 in the Big Ten. IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said this record is not enough to qualify for the NCAA tournament.“I think we’re running out of season,” Bloemendaal said. “We’re going to make a run at the end of the season. Today was disappointing, but they came right back out and handled the pressure.”In Lubbock, Texas, things started anything but predictably. The match, which was originally scheduled to take place outdoors, was moved inside because of severe wind conditions. Then, a decision was made to forgo the doubles point due to time constraints.A week later back in Bloomington, an attempt was made to try and reverse IU’s fortune. Sophomore Samuel Monette was moved down to No. 2 singles while junior Sven Lalic was moved to No. 1.In addition, freshman Stefan Lugonjic was moved from No. 6 to No. 5, freshman Matthew McCoy was inserted at No. 6 and sophomore Elliott Yee was given the day off due to recent struggles.“I feel like it’s healthy for the team, it keeps guys moving and competing for spots,” Bloemendaal said. “That’s what we need right now and nobody’s really sewn up any positions.”The Hoosiers also lost the doubles point, the second time they have done so in the last twelve matches. This affected the rest of the match, Tasic said.“We are a team that is used to winning doubles,” Tasic said. “The problem is when we don’t get it a couple guys just completely shut down.”Despite these struggles, Tasic said he believes his team still has a shot to qualify for the NCAA tournament.The schedule will not get any easier for the Hoosiers, as seven of their next eight opponents are ranked. Bloemendaal said he would not have it any other way.“We need it,” Bloemendaal said. “It doesn’t matter whether we like it or not, we absolutely need it. We need it to continue to get better because that’s the bar. We aren’t going to lower the bar in this program. We need to have ranked wins to get to the postseason so those give us that opportunity.”
(03/14/14 3:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The No. 57 IU men’s tennis team suffered from familiar struggles on Thursday. The Hoosiers lost 5-2 to No. 32 Louisville followed by a 6-1 victory against IU-Purdue University Indianapolis.The Hoosiers (9-9) have now lost five straight matches against ranked opponents and started this match differently than all of those, leading 1-0.IU once again won the doubles point, and did so in dramatic fashion. With the Hoosiers leading 7-6 at No. 1 doubles, needing to win, sophomore Samuel Monette hit a winner down the line to clinch the doubles point for the Hoosiers. The IU Tennis Center reverberated with the sounds of Hoosier fans exclaiming, knowing that IU had grabbed a 1-0 lead.While on most occasions a tightly contested doubles point leads to a fast start in singles for the winners, that was not the case Thursday. The Hoosiers lost the first set in all six singles matches, digging themselves a big enough hole that they could not climb out of.This fast start by the Cardinals quickly shifted momentum, and soon the IU Tennis Center began to echo with sounds of Cardinals fans cheering as Louisville started to pick up match points.Monette was particularly affected by this shift. The No. 61 singles player in the country was rattled when he lost to unranked Louisville junior Sebastian Stiefelmeyer. Monette’s struggles carried over to the nightcap as he lost once again at No. 1, this time in a ten-point third-set tie break.“He’s just not playing his A-game right now,” IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said. “He’s a sophomore, he’s young and he’s going through some tough times.”The Cardinals would also record points at No. 2 and No. 5 singles, both in straight sets, making the match 3-1 in favor of the Cardinals.The near comeback was led by senior Dimitrije Tasic, and sophomores Daniel Bednarczyk and Elliott Yee. It appeared the comeback was imminent with Tasic leading 4-2. Bednarczyk leading 3-0 and Yee leading 3-2.“Louisville is tough at the bottom and that was where we were starting to bury them at the end,” Bloemendaal said. “That was Indiana tennis. We had them beat on the court, they were hanging their heads.”Tasic was the only Hoosier who was able to give IU a point, winning 5-7, 6-4, 7-5. Both Bednarczyk and Yee would eventually fall 7-5 in the third set, Bednarcyzk’s loss being the clincher.“We finish those sets and we win,” Bloemendaal said. “It was literally just 5 more minutes of execution ... We had them beat. We clearly had them beat, we just have to finish better.”This loss points to a larger problem , he said, and one that has been plaguing the youthful Hoosiers all season.“Our guys are as good as anybody physically,” Bloemendaal said. “We’re better as anybody mentally. But emotionally we’re not good enough yet.”The Hoosiers have a quick turnaround, as they travel to Lubbock, Texas to play another ranked opponent, No. 38 Texas Tech.“It’s going to be a tough one for us,” Bloemendaal said. “We’ve had zero training outdoors, it’s going to be windy, we’re going to get hit with a ton of adversity.”