The Iowa tennis team is ready to see some fresh faces.
by pete ruden
Some members of the Iowa men’s tennis team will travel to South Bend, Indiana, today through Oct. 9 to compete in the Bobby Bayliss Invitational, hosted by Notre Dame.
Senior Robin Haden, sophomore Tony Leto, and freshman Jason Kerst will compete for the Hawkeyes at the tournament.
It will be Haden’s first taste of action this season.
Before the fall season began, Haden, a transfer from Mississippi State, competed in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Summer Championships in singles and made the semifinals of the tournament in doubles with teammate Jonas Larsen.
As it is with every tennis player beginning a new season, there is excitement to get back out on the court again.
“It’s been a while since I’ve played a match, so I’m really looking forward to playing a real match again, not a practice match,” Haden said. “I’m really excited to actually play a lot of matches this weekend and try to get as many wins as possible.”
Though it will be Haden’s first time competing this season, Leto and Kerst have been out there already. The two traveled to Valparaiso, Indiana, earlier this season to take part in the Valparaiso Invitational.
At that tournament, Leto won his flight in singles, and he and Kerst were runners-up in doubles.
After starting the season on a high note, the duo has gained confidence, which can lead to success.
“It was a good start to the season for me and Tony, and it was our first time playing together in the fall and my first tournament here as a Hawkeye,” Kerst said. “It was a really good experience, and I think we really built off each other’s energy, and I’m looking forward to moving forward into this tournament at Notre Dame.”
In addition to having fun at tournaments and playing matches, the Hawkeyes have also been enjoying practice. Each week, the team has been playing in-team tournaments, making practice more competitive.
The place that each player finishes for one week determines what seed the player will have the next week, creating an ever-changing bracket.
Kerst said it is a way to gauge where players are before the actual lineup for the season comes out as well as its being a way for players to prove themselves early in the year.
As matches and tournaments start popping up more frequently, the Hawkeyes will get into the swing of the fall season. Though nothing has dramatically changed in practices, players become more focused.
“With tournaments coming up, and they’re starting to become more frequent, I think that helps the guys focus in a little bit better in practice [and] play with maybe that little extra intensity,” head coach Ross Wilson said.
Only three tournaments have been played so far, and not everyone has been in action yet, so that leaves some players itching to get on the court.
After seeing their teammates come back from around the country with confidence, that leaves the rest of the Hawkeyes excited about their shot.
“You can kind of see the guys who have won matches be confident,” Wilson said. “And you can kind of see the guys who haven’t gotten a chance yet in a tournament kind of excited to get their opportunity to see how they can do as well.”
