IU men’s tennis released its official schedule for the spring this Wednesday.
The Hoosiers will play a schedule of 16 Big Ten dual matches. Nine of the matches are on the road, while seven are at the IU Tennis Center in Bloomington.
IU’s season came to an abrupt halt last year after an 8-3 start due to the coronavirus pandemic. Despite the uncertainties presented to the Hoosiers, head coach Jeremy Wurtzman said that his team has bounced back stronger than ever.
Related: [IU men’s tennis opens season with Badger Invitational]
“I thought the team handled the wait really well,” Wurtzman said. “We have a group of guys that are very driven, I don’t think they lost their focus. They knew that their season was coming eventually, so they kept training and practicing hard knowing that the season was right around the corner. Credit to them for staying motivated and getting better.”
The Hoosiers will kick off play with two road matches. On Feb. 19, they’ll take on the Iowa Hawkeyes followed by the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Feb. 21.
IU then returns home for a full weekend in Bloomington, facing Michigan on Feb. 27 and Michigan State on Feb. 28.
The Hoosiers travel to State College, Pennsylvania, to play the Penn State Nittany Lions on March 6. They then face Ohio State on March 7 in Columbus, Ohio.
IU’s following three matches will take place in Bloomington. On March 13, rival Purdue comes to visit. The Hoosiers will then go up against the Illinois Fighting Illini on March 19 and the Northwestern Wildcats on March 21.
The Hoosiers will then hit the road for four matches, starting with the Wisconsin Badgers in Madison, Wisconsin on March 26, followed by Minnesota on March 28. The following weekend includes Michigan on April 3 and Michigan State on April 4.
The team’s last home matches will be against Penn State on April 10 and Ohio State on April 11.
IU wraps up the season with a trip to West Lafayette to visit Purdue on April 17.
The Big Ten Tournament will take place from April 29-May 2. It will be hosted by the Cornhuskers at the Sid and Hazel Dillon Tennis Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Information for the NCAA Tournament will be announced at a later date.
“We’re most excited to play as a team again, to have the opportunity to compete,” Wurtzman said.
