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(03/14/14 3:28am)
____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 now 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.”
(03/13/14 2:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The No. 59 IU men’s tennis team will try to reverse its fortunes against No. 32 Louisville on Thursday.IU (8-8) has lost four consecutive matches against ranked opponents, making the match all the more important for the Hoosiers’ postseason chances.IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said he still believes in his team’s postseason chances, saying the Hoosiers are one of the best teams in the country in terms of physical ability and mental understanding of the game.However, IU lacks the emotional strength that propels teams toward the NCAA tournament, Bloemendaal said.“Emotionally, we’re not good enough yet,” Bloemendaal said. “When we start bridging that gap to what we need to do emotionally, it’s going to be a lot of fun.“Bloemendaal said there is a noticeable trend with the top teams in the country. They are all loaded with upperclassmen — something the Hoosiers lack.The Hoosiers have just two upperclassmen on the roster: senior Dimitrije Tasic and junior Sven Lalic. By comparison, the Cardinals have seven upperclassmen.This overall lack of experience forces younger players, such as sophomore Samuel Monette, into the spotlight.Other than Tasic, Monette is the only Hoosier with any significant dual match experience. After starting the dual match season playing at No. 2 singles and No. 2 doubles, Monette now occupies the No. 1 position in both singles and doubles with his partner, fellow sophomore Daniel Bednarczyk.This lack of experience showed Sunday when the Hoosiers fell 6-1 to Northwestern, a team IU is clearly superior to, Bloemendaal said.“As a coach, you almost feel handcuffed at those times, when your player gets that locked up,” Bloemendaal said. “There’s no subs, there’s no magic words.”Bloemendaal said Sunday was a prime example of the Hoosiers’ emotional immaturity.After the match against Northwestern the team had what Bloemendaal called a “heart to heart.” Without any prompting from the coaching staff, they talked at length about how frustrating it is to lose to teams they know they can beat. Bloemendaal said this was encouraging to him.“I’m not facilitating that, I’m just hearing about it on the back end,” Bloemendaal said. “But if that’s going on at that level, get ready, because these guys are getting ready to take off.”The Hoosiers will have the opportunity to “take off” against the Louisville team that beat Northwestern 5-2, and Bloemendaal said he remains optimistic.He said Louisville has not been as consistent at the top as it has been in previous years. The top is where the Hoosiers have been at their best recently, led by the efforts of Monette, who is 15-4 this year in singles dual match play.The Hoosiers will need to focus their emotions when playing Louisville to fend off what will be a strong Cardinal effort at the bottom of the lineup, Bloemendaal said.Above all else, Bloemendaal said the Hoosiers must remain calm not only against Louisville, but throughout the rest of the season.“We still could do the things we need to do rankings-wise,” Bloemendaal said. “But if you hit the panic button and get too emotional, you’re not going to make great decisions on the court.”
(03/10/14 1:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The No. 57 IU men’s tennis team lost its fourth consecutive match versus ranked opponents Sunday when they lost 6-1 at No. 24 Northwestern.The Hoosiers started well, winning the doubles point. It was the eighth time the Hoosiers started up 1-0 in their last nine matches.This included victories at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles for the Hoosiers. Sophomores Daniel Bednarczyk and Samuel Monette’s 8-3 victory came against the No. 21 doubles pairing in the country.But after the doubles win the Hoosiers went on to lose all six singles matches and winning just two sets in the process.IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said he thought his team would have an opportunity at the top of the lineup to seize control of the match. The opposite happened.Monette, No. 53 player in the country, lost 6-0, 6-1 to Northwestern senior Raleigh Smith, No. 44 player in the country. Monette has become one of the Hoosiers’ strongest players after he recently surged into the national singles rankings. Before Sunday, the sophomore was 15-3 and 9-1 in his last 10 matches. The one loss in that 10 match stretch came at the hands of the No. 9 player in the country.Sophomore Bednarczyk struggled, which is also an abnormality. Bednarczyk was 11-3 before Sunday, but this is his second loss in three matches.IU is a young team, and this match marked the first time many players in IU’s lineup played at a Big Ten road environment. Bloemendaal still expected more.“I thought we did an excellent job of preparing for this moment and it’s just strange,” Bloemendaal said. “We had a couple of guys in excellent positions today that did not go through with it the way you need to against the Big Ten on the road.”Monette and Bednarczyk were two positions in the lineup with which Bloemendaal said he believed the Hoosiers had the advantage. A third position where IU seemingly had an advantage was at No. 3, where senior Dimitrije Tasic was playing Northwestern sophomore Mihir Kumar. Kumar had lost three straight matches coming into Sunday’s contest.Junior Sven Lalic also continued his struggles in one of the more competitive matches of the day. Lalic lost 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 to Northwestern’s Sam Shropshire, a freshman for the Wildcats. Lalic’s efforts were mighty when compared to those of his teammates. This effort was still not enough to prevent Lalic from losing his fifth match in six tries.“Sven (Lalic) definitely played well enough in spots to win the match,” Bloemendaal said. “But you don’t want that to be a common theme.”The Hoosiers are close to getting over the hump, said Bloemendaal, but they just aren’t quite there yet. He said he believes his young team took a step back Sunday and will need to work hard to get back on track. When asked what might help his team start to compete in the Big Ten, Bloemendaal simply said, “chemistry.”“I think we got to bond together,” Bloemendaal said. “It’s strange because they’re all playing individually, but it all comes down to how much you want to beat the guy across the net and how much you care about your teammates.”@MichaelHughes94
(03/07/14 5:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The No. 57 IU men’s tennis team has lost its last three matches against ranked opponents. Sunday, the Hoosiers have an opportunity to end that streak at No. 24 Northwestern.Sunday will be the first time IU (8-7) plays on the road this conference season, giving the Hoosiers their first taste of what is always a tough environment at Northwestern (10-6).IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said he believes his team is not only ready for this environment, but will benefit from it.“I think for us it’s a good time to go on the road,” Bloemendaal said. “Some parts of being on the road get you tighter. You’re in a hotel together and you’re doing everything together for 24 to 48 hours. When you’re at home, even though everything is familiar to you you’ve got a lot more going on, you’ve got more distractions.”If the Hoosiers win Sunday, they will need to do two things, Bloemendaal said. They need their younger players to play well and they need to have a good performance in doubles matches.With such a young team, Bloemendaal said the mental boost a doubles point victory could provide would be vital against Northwestern.“When you have a younger team they like to see that one or two on the board with their name on it,” Bloemendaal said. “When you get that doubles point you tend to relax a bit and get to play your game from the start instead of trying to play catch up.”IU will have an opportunity to win the doubles point Sunday. The Wildcats have won just half of their doubles points this year, while the Hoosiers have won eight out of 12 possible doubles points this year.After the doubles point, the task becomes more difficult.The Wildcats field one of the deepest singles lineups in the country. “They’re all similar players,” Bloemendaal said. “They all play at similar levels from really their No. 1 to No. 5. I think their No. 1 is the most experienced and most clutch, and then everybody else is pretty close to the same player.”The Hoosiers have just one player, senior Dimitrije Tasic, who has played a significant number of Big Ten road matches. The only other upperclassmen is junior Sven Lalic, and this is only his first year at IU after transferring from Armstrong Atlantic State.“I think where it gets harder on the road, especially in the Big Ten, is for your younger players,” Bloemendaal said. “There’s no real way to substitute doing it other than just doing it.”Sam Monette will figure to be a key player Sunday. The sophomore, who is now ranked No. 53 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association singles ranking, is 10-3 this season and 3-1 since he started playing at No. 1 singles.Monette will be playing senior Raleigh Smith, who is 7-4, while playing the entire season at the No. 1 position.Bloemendaal said he sees signs that his team is on the verge of a breakthrough. He sees the team growing close and beginning to trust in one another.“We’re building this like a skyscraper,” Bloemendaal said. “We might go four stories down, but we could go 1,000 stories up.”?
(03/03/14 5:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The No. 61 IU men’s tennis team missed another opportunity for a signature win Sunday with a 4-1 loss to No. 41 Dartmouth, but rebounded with a 7-0 victory against Illinois State.IU (7-7) did not drop a set in either singles or doubles against Illinois State (5-4).Dartmouth’s (11-3) depth and experience proved too big an obstacle to overcome for the young Hoosiers. IU managed just one victory in singles and one victory in doubles play. Sunday was the first time the Hoosiers lost the doubles point during their last seven matches.The Hoosiers could not recover, and Dartmouth defeated the struggling Hoosiers.“What happened in Dartmouth happened way before the doubles point,” sophomore Samuel Monette said. “I think that we did not get ready the way we should have, and I think that the guys played more with their rackets than with their hearts.”Monette said the team did not come out with the right energy against Dartmouth. The Hoosiers were simply trying to do what was asked of them, and not playing with the passion it needed to win, Monette said.The lone win for the Hoosiers against Dartmouth came from Monette, who is ranked No. 53 in the country in singles.Other than Monette, none of the Hoosiers managed to find their footing for very long against Dartmouth. Every player showed signs of winning throughout the match against Dartmouth, but none could string together enough consecutive points and games to win. Bloemendaal said he believes his team will eventually learn how to come through in these types of situations. He said that there is no magic solution to will solve everything — the team has to realize this can’t happen anymore for IU to have success. Monette and some teammates were talking between matches when players started making typical excuses for the loss, Monette said. He said they each discussed how they can improve, and how their teammates can improve in order to get better as a team.Bloemendaal said in order for his Hoosier team to find ways to win, the team needs to strengthen its resolve.“It’s very frustrating from the outside to watch. We had more than enough chances (against Dartmouth),”Bloemendaal said. “I feel like they (Dartmouth) did a better job of being hungrier in key situations. It wasn’t much more than that, it wasn’t the level of play, and it’s just getting determined in those tough situations.”
(02/28/14 12:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU men’s tennis team will face a stiff test Sunday as it plays another doubleheader. This time No. 61 IU will play No. 41 Dartmouth and unranked Illinois State.Dartmouth (9-3) is not the first ranked team to play at the IU Tennis Center. The Hoosiers (7-6) have welcomed the likes of No. 1 Ohio State, No. 14 Vanderbilt and No. 58 Central Florida. IU has also played No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 10 Virginia and No. 25 Kentucky outside of Bloomington.The Hoosiers have failed to win in these tough matches, however, going just 1-5 against these opponents. IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said Dartmouth’s ranking does not concern him.“I’m glad they have a good number besides their name because they’re coming in and playing us,” Bloemendaal said. “I think it’s going to be a tough match, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t look at them and think it’s overwhelming.”Dartmouth fields one of the best doubles teams in the country, with its No. 1 doubles team ranked No. 15 nationwide.The Hoosiers have played and defeated talented doubles teams this season, including Ohio State, Vanderbilt and NC State. All these teams have at least one pairing currently ranked in the top 35 in the country.“I haven’t really tried to define what we do well and what we don’t,” Bloemendaal said. “But I think that we are starting to become a really good doubles team.”Bloemendaal also said he is confident in the ability of his players to beat good opponents. Sophomore Daniel Bednarczyk defeated a player from Ohio State on Monday who was previously undefeated in college tennis.“I feel like we match up once we get on the court with anybody,” Bloemendaal said. “I feel like we’re physically as good as anybody.”Bloemendaal said his team is currently lacking a standout player that many top teams have. Sophomore Samuel Monette is closest to that type of player, Bloemendaal said. Monette entered the ITA rankings for the first time in his career at No. 53 this week.One player who will need to bounce back for the Hoosiers will be sophomore Elliot Yee, who is having a good season so far but lost two singles matches in three days against Vanderbilt and Ohio State.“When he went through what he went through on Friday, young players have a hard time digesting that situation,” Bloemendaal said. “The bad news on that is sometimes you get thrown back into the fire in a really tight high pressure match.”Bloemendaal also compared Illinois State (4-3) to other teams they have faced this year, such as Western Michigan and Northern Illinois. The Hoosiers won both of those matches.IU played Northern Illinois as the second part of the doubleheader, and the first match was against Central Florida. Bloemendaal said he expects Sunday to be just as tough. Bloemendaal also said he expects his team to not only improve from these difficult matches, but to also start winning.“We have come out of those days so far and gotten a lot better,” Bloemendaal said. “Obviously, at this point we want to break through, win some matches and get in position to make the NCAAs and make a run in the Big Ten.”?
(02/26/14 6:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Andrew Havill had his best performance of his collegiate career at the Snowman Getaway in Goodyear, Ariz., Tuesday. The freshman tied for seventh as an individual with a three-round score of 208 (-8). The Hoosiers finished ninth at the tournament. IU’s other freshmen, Will Seger and Keegan Vea, contributed the team’s second and third-best scores. Seger shot a 213 (-3), including a first round score of 68 (-4), and Vea finished the tournament just one stroke behind Seger at 214 (-2). “I can’t remember a better tournament for our freshmen class,” IU Coach Mike Mayer said. “The freshmen led the way, and I think we’re going to continue to see improvement.”The Hoosiers were tied for eighth place after the first two rounds on day one of the tournament, but dropped into ninth after Tuesday’s final round.Mayer said senior David Mills played his worst tournament in a long time. Mills, a consistent score leader for the Hoosiers, finished in a tie for 55th with a score of 221 (+5). “For whatever reason, he just wasn’t comfortable with his game for this tournament,” Mayer said. “It was not a normal tournament for David.”Despite not reaching the team’s goal of winning the tournament, he said his team will focus on the positives going forward. One of IU’s biggest positives was having three freshmen record the team’s lowest scores.Havill said the freshmen have been pushing each other since before they arrived on campus.“We all came in as friends and knew we all could play,” he said. “We’re not all playing to our full potential, but we’re getting close.”Seger said the team struggled. “Even though I was the lowest on the team, I still wasn’t really excited about my performance,” he said. “We got ninth out of 17 teams, so that’s not what we were looking for.”Sophomore Max Kollin and junior Nicholas Grubnich rounded out the top five for the Hoosiers. Kollin finished with a 221 (+5) and Grubnich shot a 226 (+10). The other IU individuals competing were junior Andrew Fogg and senior Hugo Menendez, who finished with a 219 (+3), and 220 (+4), respectively. IU’s next competition is the Talis Park Challenge March 16-17 in Naples, Fla. The 18-day layoff is the second longest of the spring season for the Hoosiers. Mayer said the team has several things to focus on during that stretch.“Trying to get the weather better is what we’re going to focus on,” Mayer said. “Other than that, we’re going to focus on mental strength and training. Another thing is we’re really going to stress simple fundamentals.”@MichaelHughes94
(02/25/14 4:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The No. 58 IU men’s tennis team as tested Monday when it welcomed the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes to Bloomington. The Hoosiers battled the Buckeyes early, but the depth of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Indoor Champions was too much and IU lost 5-2.Things started off well for IU (7-6), which won the doubles point to grab an early 1-0 lead against one of the best doubles teams in the country.Despite appearing to have momentum after the doubles matches, the Hoosiers won just one out of six first sets. The team won just one singles match.“I think we had our opportunities and they came up big,” IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said. “When we shifted momentum on the court they stayed in there and played big against us.”The Hoosiers have not been without opportunities this year. This marks the third time the Hoosiers have held a lead against a higher ranked opponent at home. IU lost previously to No. 27 NC State 4-3 and 4-2 to No. 18 Vanderbilt.“I know that we’re doing the right things and our team is getting much closer,” sophomore Daniel Bednarczyk said. “We’re going to break through very soon, that’s what I know.”Bednarczyk was the lone Hoosier to win a singles match Monday. This continues a run of good tennis for the Canadian at the No. 4 position in the lineup, Bloemendaal said.“His tennis has been good for the last month,” Bloemendaal said. “He just has to continue to get the confidence rolling. It’s not easy to be the guy that leads the way and he did that.”Junior Sven Lalic again dropped another close match against the Buckeyes. While Lalic’s win-loss record sits at 2-7, nearly all of his losses have come in tight matches against good opponents, Bloemendaal said.“He’s played everybody tight,” Bloemendaal said. “He just hasn’t been able to come through yet.”Even though the Hoosiers were unable to give the Buckeyes their first loss of the season, the loss contains some positive elements, the coach said.Bloemendaal said he believes it is only a matter of time until the young members of the team learn how to win in these situations, much like the experienced Buckeyes managed to.“I think I’ve known for a while that our guys are good enough to be in these situations and the more we’re in them the better we’ll get,” he said. “We’re showing some good things.”Bednarczyk echoed his coach’s thoughts, saying if his teammates keep up the hard work the wins will start coming and coming in bunches.The next opportunity for a breakthrough is soon, as the Hoosiers play host to No. 52 Dartmouth this Sunday. Bloemendaal said he has seen improvement in his team and hopes its progress will continue as the season goes on.“I think we are taking steps and continually improving,” Bloemendaal said. “We are putting ourselves in position against some really good teams and we are competing well with them.”
(02/24/14 3:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The No. 58 IU men’s tennis team split its two matches Friday, including a 6-1 victory against unranked Toledo. IU could not pull off the upset against No. 18 Vanderbilt, losing 4-2.The Hoosiers started hot against Vanderbilt, winning a tightly contested doubles point against the Commodores. The Hoosiers won two of the three doubles matches.Despite losing, the sophomore pairing of Daniel Bednarczyk and Samuel Monette arguably outplayed its counterpart, which is ranked sixth in the country. It was the pair’s second time playing at No. 1 doubles this season.Monette’s difficult day was not over. During his first match at No. 1 singles this season, unranked Monette had to play the No. 10 player in the country, Gonzales Austin, who previously beat Monette.Monette was not intimidated by the matchup. The extroverted Canadian battled and defeated Austin.“Basically my mindset just sort of switched, and I started believing that I should be in the top 10,” Monette said. “This guy that I beat today is not better than me, and I got to start believing more that I’m better than these guys.”Monette used what he called a “manly” third set to seal the victory, meaning he maintained his focus and hit the big shots when the situation presented itself.Austin slammed his racket off the hard court while yelling obscenities after the match ended. Monette let out a lion-sized roar, accompanied by a few fist pumps.“Sam’s a competitor, and I think he pushes buttons a little bit on the court,” IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said. “As long as he does it within the rules, I’m okay with it. I think everybody’s got their way of competing, and he’s going to push buttons with his opponent from time to time.”Monette’s victory tied the score, 2-2. However, IU’s upperclassmen senior Dimitrije Tasic and junior Sven Lalic wre struggling.After winning their doubles match in dramatic fashion, the duo seemed poised to lead the charge into singles and fuel an upset.Instead, Lalic lost his match in straight sets, and Tasic lost in three hard-fought sets in a match that may have sealed the final result for the Hoosiers.“Sometimes when your confidence is shaken a little but, you go through these times where things are harder than they should be,” Bloemendaal said.Tasic won his first set before dropping the next two. It took a third-set tie break to decide the match, but Tasic could not quite come through. IU’s lone senior said he felt most responsible for the loss against Vanderbilt.The Hoosiers will need a complete effort Monday when they compete against Ohio State, recently named ITA National Indoor champion, to the IU Tennis Center.Bloemendaal said he believes his team is on the precipice of becoming elite, and their performance against Vanderbilt is a good indicator of this.“We just got a little bit ahead of ourselves, and that’s what happens with a young team,” Bloemendaal said. “We had a tremendous hour and a half to two hours.”Follow reporter Michael Hughes on Twitter @MichaelHughes94.
(02/21/14 4:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The No. 58 IU men’s tennis team returns to action Friday against No. 18 Vanderbilt and unranked Toledo following a 12-day layoff.Facing a ranked opponent is not an uncommon occurrence for either IU (6-4) or Vanderbilt (7-1). The Commodores have played six ranked opponents going 5-1 in those matches.IU is one of the few teams that has played more ranked opponents than Vanderbilt, but the Hoosiers only have three wins against the seven ranked opponents they have played.However, just two of the seven matches have been played in Bloomington, where IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said the Hoosiers are at their best.In comparison, Friday’s match will be the first time the Commodores have played a competitive match outside of Nashville, Tenn.“We want to defend our home courts, we play well on our home courts,” Bloemendaal said. “I think they’re going to be ready to come after us because they know we play well on our home courts.”The Hoosiers are 5-1 at home this season, and the team views this home court advantage as a possible edge against the Commodores.Bloemendaal said he believes his team is as talented as any in the country, and views this match against Vanderbilt as an opportunity to prove that.The nearly two weeks the Hoosiers have gone without playing a match could potentially cost the Hoosiers, but Bloemendaal said he believes the layoff will actually have a positive impact on the team.“It’s never easy to do, but I felt that this year it was a big positive for the guys,” Bloemendaal said. “The hardest thing to do when you have the layoff is getting back in there and competing again, but I think our guys are chomping at the bit to really compete and want to get out there and go after somebody other than themselves.”Bloemendaal said he believes the layoff will have a positive effect because of the youth of his team. He said he believes the two-week break helped his young team get grounded and step into leadership roles.IU will need all the leadership it can muster against the Commodores, who are one of the most experienced and talented teams in the country, Bloemendaal said.The Commodores boast the No. 10 and No. 82 singles players, while the Hoosiers have no singles players in the top 125. Vanderbilt also fields the No. 6 doubles team, while the Hoosiers don’t have a ranked doubles tandem.Instead of feeling intimidated, Bloemendaal said sophomore Sam Monette and junior Sven Lalic are potential top 10 players. He said the top four players in his lineup are as strong as any in the country.Bloemendaal said although the second match against Toledo (4-9) may not be as high profile as Vanderbilt, it is equally important. He said he believes the match will help his young team continue to improve playing with leads, and maintain its focus no matter the caliber of the opponent.Although Bloemendaal said he views his team as extremely talented, he says it is time for his team to achieve better results.Friday’s matches are the perfect opportunity to improve, he said.“This will be a good indicator,” Bloemendaal said. “I think it’s one thing to play well, and it’s another thing to go out there and get the number beside your name — and it’s time for them to do that.”Follow reporter Michael Hughes on Twitter @MichaelHughes94
(02/10/14 1:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The men’s tennis team improved to 6-4 this season after defeating Xavier 6-1, Western Michigan 6-1, UCF 5-2 and Northern Illinois 5-2 this weekend.The Hoosiers started the weekend with back to back victories Friday against Xavier and Western Michigan.A common theme was the success of IU’s underclassmen in both singles and doubles play.Before winning their respective singles matches in straight sets against Xavier, Daniel Bednarczyk and Samuel Monette teamed up to record the only doubles victory for the Hoosiers.Losing the doubles point can result in a momentum surge for the opponent. Sophomore Elliot Yee did everything he could to prevent this by jumping out to an early 4-0 lead in the first set.“I just tried to give as much energy to the team as I could,” Yee said. “We were trying to bounce back from the doubles loss, get ready mentally and try to set the tone for the rest of the day. Some of that is being loud, but showing a lot of emotion in general is a huge key.”Yee went on to win his match in straight sets, losing just two games in the process. Freshman Matthew McCoy also won in straight sets, clinching the match for IU.“He came through in a real tough one today, clinching for us when we were down on the other two courts so it was a big moment,” IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said of McCoy. “It doesn’t look as big at the end, but when it was going on it was a huge moment, and I think that’s going to help build his confidence. And it’s going to help the team rally around him.”Although senior Dimitrije Tasic and junior Sven Lalic both trailed during their singles matches, they did come back to record victories. Bloemendaal said he was still not satisfied with their performances.He said he knows his upperclassmen can play better — particularly Tasic, the only senior on the team.“As a senior, I kind of expected him to come out and give a little more energy,” Bloemendaal said. “He did a good job overall. I think he finished well today, but his start was pretty average and with a young team that can cost you. And that is what has cost us so far this season.”Bloemendaal also said that Lalic was one of a few Hoosiers who felt sick coming into the doubleheader Friday.Youth continued to carry the load for the Hoosiers during the second half of the doubleheader against Western Michigan.After IU swept all three doubles matches, sophomores Monette, Bednarczyk and Yee once again won in straight sets. This time joined by a different freshman, Stefan Lugonjic won at No. 6 singles for the Hoosiers.While Tasic once again won in straight sets against Western Michigan, fellow upperclassmen Lalic lost in straight sets at the No. 1 singles position.“We got to do a little better job with our upperclassmen, they have to field pressure a little bit differently,” Bloemendaal said. “But they’ve been through it, and I think that they need to understand that it’s all there. And if they can give back strength to this team, we’re going to be a heck of a team.”The two upperclassmen played pivotal roles Sunday in handing No. 65 UCF their first loss of the year.The upperclassmen teamed up to clinch the doubles point for the Hoosiers before both winning in straight sets against their respective opponents in singles play.Lalic’s victory at the top position in the lineup clinched the victory for the Hoosiers against the Knights. Tasic would then do the same Sunday afternoon against Western Michigan, sealing the team’s undefeated weekend.Follow reporter Michael Hughes on Twitter @MichaelHughes94.
(02/09/14 5:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers improved to 4-4 this season after defeating Xavier and Western Michigan both by a score of 6-1 Friday.A common theme in both matches was the success of the IU’s underclassmen in singles and doubles play.In the first match against Xavier, the lone doubles win came from the sophomore pairing of Samuel Monette and Daniel Bednarczyk. Bednarczyk and Monette continued their success against Xavier by winning their respective singles matches in straight sets.Many times losing the doubles point results in a momentum surge for the opponent. Sophomore Elliot Yee did everything he could to prevent this by jumping out to an early 4-0 lead in the first set.“I just tried to give as much energy to the team as I could,” Yee said. “We were trying to bounce back from the doubles loss, get ready mentally and try to set the tone for the rest of the day. Some of that is being loud but showing a lot of emotion in general is a huge key.”Yee went on to win his match in straight sets losing just two games in the process. Also winning in straight sets was freshman Matthew McCoy, whose victory clinched the match for IU.“He came through in a real tough one today, clinching for us when we were down on the other two courts so it was a big moment,” IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said of McCoy. “It doesn’t look as big at the end, but when it was going on it was a huge moment and I think that’s going to help build his confidence and it’s going to help the team rally around him.”While senior Dimitrije Tasic and junior Sven Lalic both trailed in their singles matches they did come back to record victories. Bloemendaal was still not satisfied with their performances knowing his upperclassmen can play better, particularly Tasic, the only senior on the team.“As a senior I kind of expected him to come out and give a little more energy,” Bloemendaal. “He did a good job overall. I think he finished well today, but his start was pretty average and with a young team that can cost you and that is what has cost us so far this season.”Bloemendaal said Lalic was one of a few Hoosiers who felt sick coming into the doubleheader.Youth continued to carry the load for the Hoosiers in the second half of the double header against Western Michigan.After IU swept all three doubles matches sophomores Monette, Bednarczyk and Yee once again won in straight sets, this time joined by a different freshman, Stefan Lugonjic.Lugonjic started slow, falling into a 3-0 hole in the first set before rallying to win 13 of the next 17 games resulting in a straight set victory for the freshman.“I think that carrying that lead late in the match is the toughest thing to do,” Bloemendaal said. “He went out a little bit tight and that’s normal for a freshman.”While Tasic once again won in straight sets against Western Michigan, fellow upperclassmen Lalic lost in straight sets at the No. 1 singles position.“We got to do a little better job with our upperclassmen, they have to field pressure a little bit differently,” Bloemendaal said. “But they’ve been through it and I think that they need to understand that it’s all there and if they can give back strength to this team we’re going to be a heck of a team.”Follow reporter Michael Hughes on Twitter @MichaelHughes94
(02/07/14 4:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Continuing its grueling early-season schedule, the IU men’s tennis team will play four matches this weekend, one against a ranked foe.The No. 57 Hoosiers (2-4) will play host to a doubleheader Friday against Xavier (2-3) and Western Michigan (4-1). The Hoosiers take the court again on Sunday with another doubleheader against No. 68 UCF (2-0) and Northern Illinois (5-1).The Hoosiers begin play at 10 a.m. Friday at the IU Tennis Center.Even though only one opponent is ranked, IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said he is well aware of the challenges the teams pose.“All four of these teams knock off opponents from big conferences year in and year out,” Bloemendaal said. “Western Michigan does it almost every year. Northern Illinois is sort of new to the game, but they did win the MAC last year. You always see Xavier in some interesting matches against one of the top four or five conferences.”Bloemendaal said he does not view this weekend as a confidence builder, but he does view it as a way to build team momentum.“These teams have a lot of talent,” Bloemendaal said. “I look at it as a momentum builder. But I think we’ve got a tough weekend ahead of us, and all the pressure is on us. Everybody’s expecting us to come through.”Bloemendaal emphasizes to his team the importance of playing with leads. This weekend is an opportunity for these young Hoosiers to gain experience doing just that.“We’ll be the favorite, and if we jump out to some leads we’ll see how well we do with them,” Bloemendaal said. “I think the team is maturing pretty quickly, and, as we do so, carrying leads is what makes the biggest difference. The more matches you get under your belt where you have the lead the majority of the match and you come through and win the match will help us improve even more.”No. 1 singles player Sven Lalic will be the Hoosier to watch this weekend.Bloemendaal said he believes Lalic is playing good tennis. But when playing another team’s No. 1, Lalic never gets an easy match.. If Lalic goes 3-1 in singles, it will be a good weekend, Bloemendaal said.“Everybody’s got a great No. 1,” Bloemendaal said. “It’s not like he’s going to get an easy match thrown in there.”UCF, the Hoosiers lone-ranked opponent, is a familiar foe.The two teams competed in January at the UCF Invitational, and UCF beat the Hoosiers. Bloemendaal said he sees this time going differently for a variety of reasons.One of these is the change of venue. In Florida, the match was played under the sun. This weekend’s contest will be played indoors.“It’s an advantage, no doubt about it, no more than it’s an advantage for them when we play there,” Bloemendaal said. “I think it takes time to prepare for speed and the surroundings of an indoor court, and we are going to try and make it as uncomfortable as possible for them.”Follow reporter Michael Hughes on Twitter at @MichaelHughes94
(02/06/14 2:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>By IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal’s normally high standards, the IU men’s tennis team has struggled this season. The Hoosiers are 2-4 and sit at No. 57 in the national ranking. But an abnormally high strength of schedule has Bloemendaal unconcerned about his team’s record and feeling confident about its gained experience. The Hoosiers’ four losses include four teams that most Big Ten teams will not play for the entirety of their non-conference schedules. The one home loss came at the hands of North Carolina State, currently ranked No. 32, though Bloemendaal said he believes it is a top-20 team.Bloemendaal said the experience his team gained by playing at No. 1 Virginia, No. 7 Oklahoma and No. 16 Kentucky will give invaluable experience for his team later in the season. “There was definitely a lot of thought put into what we’re doing,” Bloemendaal said. “I don’t want them to be overwhelmed by any level that they see by the time we hit March.”This relatively young Hoosiers team boasts just one senior, Dimitrije Tasic. The only other upperclassmen which plays regularly is junior transfer Sven LalicLalic transferred from a Division II school, Armstrong Atlantic State.That leaves Tasic as the only player with significant experience playing in these high profile matches,Bloemendaal said he is aware of the effects that losing a lot with a young team can have. He said some players do not respond well to losing and can actually regress instead of progress. These young Hoosiers do not have this problem, Bloemendaal said.“I think each and every match we have handled a little bit better, and our young guys have gotten a little bit tougher and a little more confident in what they’re trying to do on the courts,” Bloemendaal said. “I think we are a long ways ahead of where we are at the first part of January.”Not only are these young Hoosiers battling and competing with talented teams, they are doing so on the road in hostile environments.Bloemendaal called the matches at Virginia, Oklahoma and Kentucky the most challenging competition his team will face this year.“They were all difficult in different ways — but put those three together, we won’t see anything more challenging than that,” Bloemendaal said. “We might see something similar as challenging, but no more.”Bloemendaal said he felt the team is on track for where he wants to be at the start of Big Ten conference play.They now know what the best teams in the country look like.“I think it’s prepared them perfectly for what they’re going to run into,” Bloemendaal said. “That’s one of the reasons why we play these tough matches early on, and the other one is to understand why you’re putting in the work, what you’re working towards and what level you need to start competing towards.”Bloemendaal also said their current record is the last thing on his mind.He said he believes when his team comes together, the experience and adversity they have gone through will make them one of the top teams in the country.“I’m encouraged by the direction we’re going, I’m very excited about this team at this point,” Bloemendaal said. “I know where we’re at record wise, but I think we’re getting ready to take off. I’ve seen a lot of teams in this position who start to win a lot of matches in a row.”
(02/03/14 1:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU men’s tennis team (2-4) split its doubleheader Friday, losing to No. 35 North Carolina State 4-3 and defeating unranked Eastern Kentucky 7-0. IU started well, taking the doubles point against NC State — the first time NC State has lost a doubles point all season.“That’s a really good doubles team, and we looked good,” IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said. “When we got the lead, we put it to them.”The Hoosiers could not parlay this doubles victory into success in singles, as the Hoosiers won just one out of six first sets in singles.“We were really average carrying leads,” Bloemendaal said. “Once you learn how to do that, that’s when you start winning a lot of matches.”Sophomore Samuel Monette was one player for IU who consistently played well. Monette won his No. 2 singles match in straight sets. The Hoosiers went on to lose four singles matches in a row after that, clinching a victory for the Wolfpack.No. 1 doubles team senior Dimitrije Tasic and junior Sven Lalic were also successful during the match. The upperclassmen duo had struggled in doubles all year before defeating one of the top doubles teams in the country.Bloemendaal said he is hopeful this newfound success in doubles will translate to success in singles play, where both players have struggled.Lalic came close to reversing his fortune during his match. Even though he lost in straight sets, it took two tightly contested tie-breaks for that to happen. Bloemendaal blamed the scoring system for his junior’s loss.“In tennis, most of the time you do need to think. And that scoring system rewards the guys who just bust balls, especially indoors,” Bloemendaal said. “I thought Sven was a little bit of a victim to that.”He said the scoring system does not reward the better player, making it easier for the lesser player to win.The later match saw a much different Hoosier team, one that did not drop a set to Eastern Kentucky.“That EKU team is coming off a huge win against Xavier who won their conference,” Bloemendaal said. “We made them look like bottom of the barrel.”The match also saw a lineup change for the Hoosiers with the addition of freshman Matthew McCoy.Bloemendaal said he thinks very highly of the Bloomington native’s potential in the IU program.“I think McCoy’s going to win a lot of matches,” Bloemendaal said. “I just have this sneaky suspicion that once he does what he needs to do and gets his teeth into this whole thing, that he’s going to win a lot of matches.”Bloemendaal praised the freshman’s work ethic and willingness to improve.“He’s a gritty player, he gets a lot of balls, very coachable,” Bloemendaal said. “From where he was this summer to where he’s at now, it’s like night and day. I think once he gets his feet under him, he’s going to be good.”The Hoosiers then traveled to Norman, Okla., on Sunday where they lost 4-0 to the No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners.IU’s success in doubles did not translate on the road in Norman. The Hoosiers lost the first two doubles matches against the Sooners and were trailing in the third when play stopped.Bloemendaal has emphasized all year how much the momentum of winning the doubles point affects the rest of the match. It proved decisive again Sunday.It did not get better in singles play for the Hoosiers. IU lost each of its first three matches, clinching the match for Oklahoma. The remaining three matches were not continued.The Hoosiers were trailing by a set in one, while the other two were in the midst of a third and deciding set.Follow reporter Michael Hughes on Twitter @MichaelHughes94.
(02/01/14 7:48pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU (2-3) split its doubleheader on Friday, losing to No. 35 North Carolina State 4-3, and defeating unranked Eastern Kentucky 7-0.The Hoosiers started action off well, taking the doubles point against NC State, marking the first time that NC State has lost a doubles point all season.“That’s a really good doubles team, and we looked good,” IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said. “When we got the lead, we put it to them.”The Hoosiers could not parlay this doubles victory into success in singles, as the Hoosiers won just one out of six first sets in singles.“We were really average carrying leads,” Bloemendaal said. “Once you learn how to do that that’s when you start winning a lot of matches.”Sophomore Samuel Monette was the one player for IU who consistently played well. Monette won his match on No. 2 singles in straight sets. The Hoosiers went on to lose four singles matches in a row after that, clinching a victory for the Wolfpack.Another bright spot from the match was the play of the No. 1 doubles team, senior Dimitrije Tasic and junior Sven Lalic. The upperclassmen duo had struggled in doubles all year before defeating one of the top doubles teams in the country on Friday.Bloemendaal said he is hopeful that this new-found success in doubles will translate to success in singles play, where both players have struggled.Lalic came close to reversing his fortune in his match. Although he lost in straight sets, it took two tightly contested tiebreaks for that to happen. Bloemendaal blamed a unique factor for his junior’s loss.“In tennis, most of the time you do need to think, and that scoring system rewards the guys who just bust balls especially indoors,” Bloemendaal said. “I thought Sven was a little bit of a victim to that, I have to be honest with you.”Bloemendaal said the scoring system “wreaks” concerning how it teaches players to deal with pressure. Bloemendaal claims that the new system does nor reward the better player, making it easier for lesser player to win.The nightcap saw a much different Hoosier team, one that did not drop a set to Eastern Kentucky.“That EKU team is coming off a huge win against Xavier who won their conference,” Bloemendaal said. “We made them look like bottom of the barrel.”The latter match also saw a lineup change for the Hoosiers with the insertion of freshman Matthew McCoy.Bloemendaal said he thinks very highly of the Bloomington native’s potential in the IU program.“I think McCoy’s going to win a lot of matches,” Bloemendaal said. “I just have this sneaky suspicion that once he does what he needs to do, and gets his teeth into this whole thing that he’s going to win a lot of matches.”Bloemendaal praised the freshman’s work ethic and willingness to improve. “He’s a gritty player, he gets a lot of balls, very coachable,” Bloemendaal said. From where he was this summer to where he’s at now it’s like night and day. I think once he gets his feet under him he’s going to be good.”The Hoosiers will next travel to Oklahoma to play the No. 8 Sooners on Sunday.Follow reporter Michael Hughes on Twitter @MichaelHughes94
(01/31/14 4:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU men’s tennis team (1-2) is slated to play competitive matches in Bloomington for the first time this season. No. 57 IU returns home to face No. 35 North Carolina State (3-1) and unranked Eastern Kentucky (1-2) on Friday.IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal acknowledged the challenge this match poses for his young team, especially against the Wolfpack.“They’re going to be tough. They’re well coached, and I have a lot of respect for their program,” Bloemendaal said. “They play well from top to bottom, and they are going to play really solid doubles against us.”The Wolfpack has four singles players ranked in the top 100 nationally by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. In comparison, the Hoosiers have just one, junior Sven Lalic.Bloemendaal has emphasized all season the importance of winning the doubles point. This may be difficult on Friday as the Wolfpack have yet to lose that point all season.“They’re going to be confident, a little more confident than what we are at this point,” Bloemendaal said. “I don’t think that they’re better, but I think that they’re going to be more confident.”Bloemendaal is still optimistic about his team’s chances in doubles despite the talent on the other side of the net.“We’re very young all the way around,” Bloemendaal said. “I think that eventually this team will define itself as a good doubles team. I see it here and there in practice, but it hasn’t quite come out yet.”Last year, IU lost 4-3 at NC State, a result the Hoosiers are hoping to change this year.“It was a close loss,” sophomore Daniel Bednarczyk said. “I know that everyone who was part of that wants to get revenge, and I can guarantee that everyone is working their ass off to prepare for this weekend.”Bloemendaal recognized that those who were involved in that match last year need to lead the way — not just in this match, but all year. In particular is IU’s lone senior, Dimitrije Tasic.“I think Dima will be somebody who is going to help lead the way all year long,” Bloemendaal said. “I think that in this program, our seniors always play extremely well every year. I’m expecting him to have his best year. He’s starting to show signs of that.”The team traveled to Charlottesville, Va., last week. While in Virginia, IU went 1-1, losing to the defending national champions and top team in the nation.Bloemendaal emphasized that the team was not blown away by talent against Virginia, and it showed him how talented his team can be.“We will not have mismatches as far as talent goes out there,” Bloemendaal said. “It’s really just learning from what we went through last weekend and getting a clearer vision of what we’ve got to do on the court to contribute to the team.”Bloemendaal praised Eastern Kentucky’s talent level, saying they might be as good as NC State.“If you watch them warm up, you’ll notice that you don’t see a difference between them and NC State,” Bloemendaal said. “Actually, they’ll probably have a couple guys who hit the ball better.”He said this match might be a gut check and a learning experience for his young team.“In tennis, you have to learn how to allow people to lose the match,” he said. “One thing I tell the guys all the time is that the most important person on the court is the guy across the net. You want to think it’s you, but it’s really the guy across the net.” Bloemendaal said these matches will go a long way in defining who this team might be this year and how good they might be.“This is really one of the measuring sticks,” he said. “We’ve moved forward this season, and I think that this is going to be a really big test for us. Physically, we’re as good as them — no doubt about it. The question is if we’re going to start defining ourselves as a contender.”Follow reporter Michael Hughes on Twitter @MichaelHughes94
(01/30/14 7:54pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU men’s tennis team (1-2) will play competitive matches in Bloomington for the first time this season. No. 57 IU returns home to face No. 35 North Carolina State (3-1) and unranked Eastern Kentucky (1-2) Friday.IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal acknowledged the challenge that this match poses for his young team, especially against the Wolfpack.“They’re going to be tough. They’re well coached, and I have a lot of respect for their program,” Coach Randy Bloemendaal said. “They play well from top to bottom, and they are going to play really solid doubles against us.”The Wolfpack have four singles players ranked in the top 100 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. In comparison, the Hoosiers have just one, junior Sven Lalic.Also, Bloemendaal has emphasized all season the importance of winning the doubles point. This may be difficult on Friday as the Wolfpack have yet to lose that point all season.“They’re going to be confident, a little more confident than what we are at this point,” Bloemendaal said. “I don’t think that they’re better, but I think that they’re going to be more confident.”Bloemendaal is still optimistic about his team’s chances in doubles despite the talent on the other side of the net.“We’re very young all the way around,” Bloemendaal said. “I think that eventually this team will define itself as a good doubles team. I see it here and there in practice, but it hasn’t quite come out yet.”Last year, IU lost 4-3 at NC State, a result the Hoosiers are hoping to change this year.“It was a close loss,” sophomore Daniel Bednarczyk said. “I know that everyone who was part of that wants to get revenge, and I can guarantee that everyone is working their ass off to prepare for this weekend.”Bloemendaal also recognized that those who were involved in that match last year need to lead the way — not just in this match, but all year. In particular is IU’s lone senior Dimitrije Tasic.“I think Dima will be somebody who is going to help lead the way all year long,” Bloemendaal said. “I think that in this program, our seniors always play extremely well every year. I’m expecting him to have his best year. He’s starting to show signs of that.”Bloemendaal discussed the team’s trip to Charlottesville, Va., last week. While in Virginia, IU went 1-1, losing to the defending national champions and top team in the nation.He emphasized that the team was not blown away by talent against Virginia, and it showed him how talented his team can be.“We will not have mismatches as far as talent goes out there,” Bloemendaal said. “It’s really just learning from what we went through last weekend, and getting a clearer vision of what we’ve got to do on the court to contribute to the team.”Bloemendaal praised Eastern Kentucky’s talent level, saying they might be as good as NC State.“If you watch them warm up, you’ll notice that you don’t see a difference between them and NC State,” Bloemendaal said. “Actually, they’ll probably have a couple guys who hit the ball better.”He said this match might be a gut check and a learning experience for his young team.“In tennis, you have to learn how to allow people to lose the match,” he said. “One thing I tell the guys all the time is that the most important person on the court is the guy across the net. You want to think it’s you, but it’s really the guy across the net.” Bloemendaal said these matches will go a long way in defining who this team might be this year and how good they might be.“This is really one of the measuring sticks,” he said. “We’ve moved forward this season, and I think that this is going to be a really big test for us. Physically, we’re as good as them — no doubt about it. The question is if we’re going to start defining ourselves as a contender.”
(01/28/14 5:05pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When Daniel Bednarczyk and Sam Monette first met at 11 years old, they were rivals on the Canadian junior tennis circuit. Almost a decade later and hundreds of miles away, the two sophomores have created a formidable doubles pairing for the IU men’s tennis team.In Canada, the two players competed against each other more than a handful of times, Bednarczyk said, adding Monette holds the head-to-head advantage between the two.Despite this early connection, the pair’s decision to attend IU together was a coincidence.“Danny took his recruiting trip a week before me, and we weren’t talking at this moment,” Monette said with a grin. After taking his recruiting trip, Monette announced on Facebook he would be an Indiana Hoosier.“Danny messaged me and said that he had just signed, too,” he said. “It was a complete surprise.”Both players’ decisions to come to IU were rooted in their Canadian heritage.Jeremy Langer, an IU alumnus and native of Canada, was the deciding factor in Bednarczyk’s choice to become a Hoosier.Isade Juneau, a former member of both the IU men’s tennis team and alumnus of George-Vanier High School, Monette’s alma mater, convinced Monette to make the trip south.Monette and Juneau were doubles partners last year before Monette and Bednarczyk joined.Bednarczyk and Monette are not only working together on the court, but are also teaming up to keep the Canadian pipeline to IU flowing.“We have two Canadians coming next year,” Monette said. “We are just trying to keep the pipeline going, and just try to get the best Canadians to come here.”Since arriving at IU, the two have re-kindled their friendship and are now roommates. They both point to this friendship as a big part of their success on the court.“We’re so close with each other, Sam and I,” Bednarczyk said. “We live together, and that also helps our relationship. We’ve traveled numerous times around the world together through juniors. It just helps so much on the court and you can see it just by looking at us.”Monette said the chemistry between the two has the ability to propel them past the competition.“We have the potential to not only be the best on the NCAA circuit but also as pros,” Monette said. “Travel around the world and do the (Association of Tennis Professionals) maybe after college. Me and Danny have both been there, we’ve both seen what the double level is and I think we’re really close.”Despite their professional aspirations, contributing to the team’s success is still their primary goal.“The most important thing is getting our team that doubles point,” Bednarczyk said. “No matter where or who we play in doubles, I know that Sam and I are capable of helping out the team get that doubles point. It can be such a big influence on the momentum in the match.”Starting this year, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association has introduced a new experimental scoring format. In this format, doubles matches have been shortened so a team needs to win only six games rather than the original eight to win the match.Monette acknowledged the duo’s propensity for fast starts as a big advantage for them with the new format.“When we play in doubles I think that we can be intimidating to the other team,” Monette said. “We usually have a solid start, so the fact that there is only six games this year, I think it’s an advantage for us. We usually have really fast starts, and like Coach says, we only need 10-15 minutes of great tennis to win.”IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said when he watches the partners play, he cannot help but notice the high levels of intensity they bring.“It’s just a really good relationship between the two of them, especially on the court,” Bloemendaal said. “When one’s not playing well the other picks him up and they just trust each other out there.”This energy on the court is not lost on the two. Bednarczyk said all the positive energy comes naturally because of how close the two are.“Positive emotions just come through a good relationship,” Bednarczyk said. “We both want to be in that big moment and want to take that shot at a specific time.”Monette echoed Bednarczyk’s opinion that positivity is second nature for the pair.“When we go on the court and play together, we’re just having fun,” Monette said. “It’s much easier to be positive because we have such a good relationship.”The pair also tries to use that energy to fuel the rest of the team.“We give energy to the rest of the team,” Bednarczyk said. “It’s so important for No. 1 and No. 3 doubles to be able to look on our court and be able to believe that we’re going to get through our match, no matter if we’re down or up. Showing positive emotions, it gives belief within the team.”Monette said he feels every player must take a leadership role on a young Hoosiers team.“On match day, I think a lot of people look at what we do and we give a lot of energy,” Monette said. “I think our job as leaders is to bring energy and try to make people around us positive.”
(01/27/14 4:42am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After defeating No. 65 Samford on Friday, No. 56 IU fell to Virginia, the top-ranked and defending national champion.A win against Virginia would have advanced the Hoosiers to the ITA National Team Indoor Championships. An appearance had the potential to change men’s tennis at Indiana, Coach Randy Bloemendaal said.The loss dropped the Hoosiers to 1-2 on the spring season and saw the Hoosiers fail to win a single set against the Cavaliers. This was the second time in as many days Virginia did not lose a set.The Hoosiers came out tight to start doubles play, something that Bloemendaal feared would happen.“We addressed it a lot before the match, but it’s one of those situations where the more you’re in it as a team, the better you get at it,” Bloemendaal said. “It’s a big crowd on the road against the number one team in the country, and we were a little tight.”Bloemendaal did praise the singles performances of half of his team Saturday.“I thought Elliott (Yee), Stefan (Lugonjic) and Dima (Dmitrije Tasic) did a great job all day long,” Bloemendaal said. “When they were behind, they looked like the better player.”Freshman Lugonjic’s performance in particular caught Bloemendaal’s eye.“His upside is really, really good,” Bloemendaal said. “Physically, he can hang with pretty much anyone in the country, especially at the lower positions.”Lugonjic won his match against Samford in straight sets before playing a very tight match against a top 100-ranked player from Virginia on Saturday.Bloemendaal said they see Lugonjic as a future all-Big Ten player.Despite Lugonjic’s performance, Bloemendaal said he was upset at how the other half of his lineup played against Virginia.“Some of the guys just didn’t handle the pressure at all,” Bloemendaal said. “Sven (Lalic) I think had some things going against him with some bad luck. I think he played okay, but it really should have been a much tighter match.”Lalic, a junior, lost in straight sets to the third-best singles player in the country, Mitchell Frank.Bloemendaal also expressed disappointment in sophomores Daniel Bednarczyk and Sam Monette.“I didn’t think they handled the pressure well the whole day,” Bloemendaal said. “Honestly, they were the better team on the doubles court, and we played from behind all day long.”The doubles partners not only lost for the first time this spring in doubles, but also both lost in singles.“It’s definitely concerning that they didn’t handle the big situation better,” Bloemendaal said. “They’ve both been in the program a year, and the expectations were that they would handle that a little bit better.”Bloemendaal did not mince words regarding the two sophomores, calling Saturday their worst performances all year, including the fall season.While the Hoosiers did not play well on Saturday, the coach said he still considered the weekend a success.“I think we moved forward,” Bloemendaal said. “We went into the weekend with a lot of tangible goals and a lot of intangible goals.”Bloemendaal also emphasized the overall talent of Samford, a team the Hoosiers dispatched with relative ease by a score of 6-1.The Hoosiers consist of just four upperclassmen, one of whom is a senior, and 10 underclassmen. Bloemendaal said he thinks this team is only going to get better than they are right now. The only question is how much better.“These guys go out and work their tails off every day to get better, and they are getting better,” Bloemendaal said. “They’re learning how to deal with situations. The more they learn and the more resilient they become, it’ll become clearer on the outside how good this team could be.”The next opportunity to see this growth will be Friday, when the Hoosiers return home to play a double header against North Carolina State and Eastern Kentucky.Follow reporter Michael Hughes on Twitter @MichaelHughes94.