Team sails through first 3 matches

With 23 matchups, intense points and a satisfied coach, the IU men’s tennis team began its journey on the road to the NCAA Championships.

Sailing through their early morning matches, the Hoosiers beat Eastern Kentucky 7-0 in the first match of their triple-header Saturday. The only close matches came at the one and two doubles combinations of Lachlan Ferguson and Guy Kubi, and Santiago Gruter and Jeremy Langer, respectively. Both tandems won their matches 8-6.

“We’re just trying to get a lot of guys in and see how they handle the situations,” IU coach Randy Bloemendaal said. “So far, the guys have embraced situations they’ve been in.”

Nerves increased during afternoon play with more competitive matches against Toledo. Senior Peter Antons, a set behind and down 0-4 in the second, battled back to win a three-set bout, 3-6, 7-5, 6-1. The Hoosiers defeated the Rockets 7-0.

“We know we’re going to get tight,” Bloemendaal said. “We know it’s not going to be the prettiest tennis we can play, but the mission’s been accomplished.”

In the evening, the first-ever meeting between IU and Gardner-Webb took place and the Hoosiers beat the Bulldogs 8-1. Freshmen Stephen Vogl and Will Kendall pulled away with a doubles win in the tiebreaker, going 8-7 (7-2).

The Hoosiers look to continue their smooth start to the season this weekend with another three matches in Albuquerque, N.M.

“This being my first couple matches, I’m a little nervous coming out but gotta embrace the situation,” Vogl said. “Every time we step on the court we want to execute as best we can and hope for a win every time. We’re playing to our potential, but there’s a lot more to improve on.”