Hawkeye tennis sweeps Drake, Nebraska
The men’s tennis team got back on track sweeping competition to break its two-game losing streak.
Iowa’s Joe Tyler hits a forehand during a men’s tennis matchup between Iowa and Butler on Sunday, January 27, 2019. The Hawkeyes defeated the Bulldogs, 5-2.
March 10, 2019
With the match tied at 3, the entire Hawkeye Tennis & Recreation Complex crowd stood as Hawkeye sophomore Joe Tyler battled Barny Thorold for the decisive match point.
Up one set to none, Tyler was up 6-5 with the score knotted at 40.
“I was just hoping he was going to miss when I saw that ball go,” Tyler said. “I was like, Please, God, Please, God. Eventually it did, and I was just like jubilation really, I was so happy.”
Shortly after Tyler’s win (7-6 [4], 7-5), the entire Iowa tennis team chased him down and tackled him as the team celebrated its first victory over Drake since 2011.
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“[This win] is huge,” Tyler said. “We’ve lost the last two matches on the road, tough matches. This was kind of like a big turning point to get the season back on track. Drake is a really good team; they’ve been a really good team for years.”
Head coach Ross Wilson knew this victory was more than just about pumping up its solid home record, which improved to 9-1. It was a major confidence boost for a team that has struggled recently and has its next three matches on the road.
“It’s a rivalry match, you know,” Wilson said. “The confidence to know that we can win the close matches and that we can step up in the big moments and execute is big.”
Because it was a rivalry match, the Tennis Complex atmosphere reached new heights on March 8.
“The energy here today was awesome,” sophomore Will Davies said. “It was definitely a big factor. It played a massive factor in the match. Obviously, the crowd really got behind us today. It was the most I’ve ever experienced.”
The way the Hawkeyes pulled off the victory in front of the home crowd was even bigger. Iowa secured the doubles point including a tough doubles win at No. 1 to start. Then, the Hawkeyes lost at Nos. 1 and 2 singles, leaving the middle players to pick up the slack. And they did.
Besides Tyler’s win at No. 4, No. 5 Davies and No. 3 Oliver Okonkwo who picked up the team. They each picked up their 10th singles victory, tying them for the team lead.
Ultimately, the win put them back in a good mindset for their match against Nebraska. Iowa ended up picking up its first road win of the season, 5-2, on Sunday to close out the weekend 2-0 and improve to 10-3.
Iowa will be back on road on March 18 where it will face Arizona in Tucson.
