The IU men’s tennis team is on a three-game losing streak, and its run of games is not getting any easier as it will face No. 18 Kentucky on Friday in Lexington.
The Hoosiers last played Kentucky in the 2013-14 season, but lost the match 6-1.
IU may be going through a small slump, but the team and IU Coach Jeremy Wurtzman have a bigger picture in mind. They want to perform well in the Big Ten and matches against top-ranked schools.
“We’ve talked to the team about how we’ve had a very difficult schedule,” Wurtzman said. “Also none of the losses we have are really significantly losses so we have to go into each match knowing that we prepared hard.”
For Wurtzman, every match can be viewed as a successful outing if the team brings to the court what it has been practicing and that the players also gather experiences from the match.
“Every match we play is a another very highly ranked opponent or big-name school,” Wurtzman said. “I just think that by the end of the season, if we can keep our minds right and stay confident, our experience and match toughness will be at a high.”
Wurtzman said he feels that being able to face Kentucky this weekend is something the team has worked for. Kentucky’s tennis program has a reputation for being one of the better ones in the country.
The Wildcats also play in the SEC, which Wurtzman feels is the most competitive for tennis in the country. To be able to face such an opponent is a testament to how far some of the players on the IU team have come, Wurtzman said.
The Wildcats are 8-1 this season, and the Hoosiers will be facing a team that beat Notre Dame 4-0 in their previous match, a team that the Hoosiers have lost to.
However, going into this match, the Hoosiers are confident in the fact that they can give any team a match. Wurtzman said the Hoosiers respect their opponents, but they go into each match with the belief that they are going to win.
Even though they are heading into this match on a three-game losing streak, Wurtzman said he still feels the team can gain a lot from Friday’s trip down to Kentucky.
“Another great match against a very good opponent and an opportunity at a top-20 program,” Wurtzman said. “It’s such a great thing to be able to have these matches and it’s not easy to have a schedule like we have. These guys, some of the seniors and upperclassmen, have worked hard and it’s rewarding to be able to play such stiff competition.”
