The road wasn”t a very friendly place for the No. 30 Michigan men”s tennis team (0-1 Big Ten, 5-1 overall) last weekend, but it hopes to bounce back today against Indiana State in a non-conference dual match.
- Paul Wong
- TOM FELDKAMP/Daily<br><br>The men”s tennis team looks to remain undefeated at home today.
For the Wolverines, the Varsity Tennis Center seems to be where their heart has been this season, as they”ve gone undefeated (5-0) on their home courts.
But in their first match away from home Saturday, the Wolverines were defeated by Northwestern, 4-3, to start the Big Ten season at 0-1.
“That was a difficult environment to play in and we just flat out didn”t play well enough,” Michigan coach Mark Mees said.
The Wolverines once again took the doubles point, like they have in ever match this year, but struggled in singles.
No. 1 singles player Henry Beam moved within two wins of 60 for his career, and freshman Anthony Jackson stayed undefeated for the season, but those were the only two singles victories that Michigan could garner. Mees isn”t overly concerned, though.
“We just did not play well against Northwestern in singles,” Mees said. “But I am not ready to push the panic button because of that.”
Michigan will look to get its singles back on track against No. 31 Indiana State.
The Sycamores are coached by Brian Boland, who is only the second coach in team history to earn 100 career wins.
As expected, the Wolverines aren”t happy about the loss on Saturday, and Mees expects them to be ready.
“They are a very talented team and it will be a good test for us,” Mees said. “I do think the team will respond and play well (today) against Indiana State.”
Every point will be a test from here on out, and consistency and depth will be key if the Wolverines are to succeed. Mees knows that regardless of where you play, players still need to step up.
“We have to be ready to perform well every match or we will not be successful,” Mees said.
It won”t get any easier for the Wolverines, as Michigan will play its second Big Ten match against Minnesota on Saturday at home.
“With the length of the season, you have to find the right emotional level to be at for every match,” Mees said. “You can”t be up and down like a yo-yo (emotionally) or your performance will be up and down like a yo-yo.”