There are five players on IU tennis who have been part of an NCAA Tournament team, and those seniors want nothing else but to make it back to the postseason.
The Hoosiers have enjoyed a productive fall and are looking to bring that form into the spring as they gear up for the Big Ten with the aim of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament.
“Our goal is always going to be making it to the NCAA Tournament,” IU Coach Jeremy Wurtzman said. “We didn’t make the NCAA Tournament last year and that was our goal and that’s something we want to achieve this year.”
IU is ranked No. 47 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association and senior Samuel Monette is also ranked No. 27 for singles players.
Sophomore Raheel Manji won the singles title at the Wake Forest Invitational in Winston Salem, North Carolina, in November.
November also saw Monette secure a victory
against No. 7 seed Nicolas Alvarez from Duke at the 2015 USTA/ITA National Indoor Collegiate Championships.
Monette went into that event in good form after winning the ITA Ohio Valley Regional Championship in October. He also won the doubles championship for the Ohio Valley region with fellow senior Daniel Bednarcyzk.
IU has made tangible progress since Wurtzman became the coach last season.
The Hoosiers went from ninth to fifth in the Big Ten and climbed as high as No. 27 in the ITA rankings last season.
Going by these records, the Hoosiers said they feel they may be underrated.
“We really put ourselves on the map last year,” sophomore Raheel Manji said. “We really gave a good showing and if anything, I feel that we are under-ranked and that we should be ranked higher.”
Wurtzman also said the Hoosiers are a team to be feared in the Big Ten. They are no longer the unkown from previous years that struggled in conference play.
“I think teams are going to expect us this year for sure,” Wurtzman said. “With the fall results that we’ve had and some of the success we’ve had last year, I don’t think we are going to sneak up on anyone and they are going to be ready and prepared for us.”
Season Expectations:
Senior Samuel Monette: He said he had a pretty consistent fall season and expects a strong start for the spring. He also said he wants to have a better season than last year and lead the way with his consistency and effectiveness on match day.
“Ranking right now is just a number,” Monette said. “It’s fun to be ranked high and it gives motivation to the guys. My ranking does not matter; the one that matters is of the team and I think that’s a little low.”
What would be a good season: a team ranking in the top 20 at least.
“I started as a freshman when we were 18th in the country,” Monette said. “A good season too is where we pick up the wins in tight situations where we win a lot of 4-3 matches and that we stay together and stay strong and picking up those wins could make this a very special season.”
Senior Chris Essick: He said everyone had a good fall and is expecting big things for the spring. He said his goal is to be ranked higher and play better in the Big Ten.
“One of my goals would be to do better in the Big Ten and getting fourth or better,” Essick said.
What would be a good season: making the NCAA Tournament.
“We haven’t made it for the last three years and they made it the year before I came in,” Essick said. “It would be a great thing to achieve and a great thing to do with the other seniors and it would be especially nice after what we’ve gone through.”
Senior Elliot Yee: He said he feels that the team should be making a lot of breakthroughs after having a great fall, especially with some players playing better than what the team expected.
“I think that’s a great indication of what should come in the spring. We should get to those spots that we dream about and do well,” Yee said.
What would be a good season: his last season to end how he always dreamt.
“When I was 12 years, I dreamt about making the NCAA tournament,” Yee said. “Hopefully win it, but we’ll take it one step at a time. We’ll have fun as a group and get better as a group everyday.”
Sophomore Raheel Manji: He said he felt everyone had a good fall season and said he believes the team has a lot of positive momentum going into the spring.
“I think it looks really bright for us and we are all on a good page and we are getting better and even got better from the fall,” Manji said.
What would be a good season: to continue to be a reliable player for the team and continue to win points for the team.
“I was happy with (last) season overall,” Manji said. “I got a lot of good wins out there but I think I’m playing even better this year and expect a little more from myself and contribute in even more ways possible.”
