Hoosiers to revisit rivals No. 12 Kentucky, Butler

Fresh off two weekend wins, the No. 46 IU men’s tennis team is gearing up for its next test: today’s 1 p.m. showdown against No. 12 Kentucky.

“I think we’re ready for it right now,” IU coach Randy Bloemendaal said. “I think we are going to be (a top-20) team by the end of the year. How quickly we are going to get there, I don’t know.”

The Wildcats (3-0) feature three nationally ranked singles players, including No. 2 Eric Quigley, an All-American last year. Quigley won the singles title at the Ohio Valley Regional Championships in Bloomington in 2009 and 2010.

The Hoosiers’ No. 1 singles player Jeremy Langer said he is excited for the opportunity to take on a top opponent.

“I’ve never played him before, but I’ve seen him play a number of times, and there are some things that I can pick on,” Langer said. “Basically I’m really looking forward to playing the match against him.”

In addition to Quigley, the Wildcats’ lineup includes No. 39 Alex Musialek and No. 72 Alberto Gonzalez.

IU senior Senior Santiago Gruter and sophomore Josh MacTaggart already beat ranked players in its win against No. 57 North Carolina State Saturday.

MacTaggart said playing the Wildcats could allow the Hoosiers to rack up more quality victories.

“I’ve never played Kentucky before, but I’m aware of the rivalry so it should be good fun,” MacTaggart said. “I know they’re ranked high as well so it’s a chance for all of us to get a big win.”

Bloemendaal acknowledged that Kentucky had good players at the top of its lineup but said they are “very beatable” at the four through six singles positions, but said playing a program of Kentucky’s caliber is a chance to see how his team measures up.

“They’re a good team, they have a lot of talent, but I think it’s a good test because that’s where we want to be,” Bloemendaal said.

After the match against Kentucky, IU will take on Butler at 6 p.m. The Hoosiers swept the Bulldogs 7-0 last season.

Even though Kentucky is a higher-profile matchup, junior Stephen Vogl said the Hoosiers have to play with maximum intensity during both matches.

“We’re coming in as the underdogs against Kentucky, but we’re going to show them a pretty tough fight,” Vogl said. “And Butler’s no slouch either, so we’ve got to be ready for both matches.”