The IUS men’s tennis team demolished the IU East men’s tennis team, 9-0, on March 18, at the IUS Tennis Court.

The Grenadiers played eight games in doubles and eight sets in singles.

“We’ve been working on doubles,” Yancey Walters, IUS men’s tennis head coach, said.  “The highlight of this game were the doubles.”

The Grenadiers performed equally well on both singles and doubles.  They scored 8-2, 8-2 and 8-3 on doubles.

The Grenadiers  also won all of their singles.  IU East won  six games during all seven of the singles matches.

The records for each of the six matches were 12-2, 12-0, 12-0, 12-0, 12-5 and 12-0.

“We played very fundamentally,” Walters said. “We didn’t make a lot of mistakes. [IU East] made most of the mistakes.”

The warm weather and light breeze provided a pleasant temperature for the tennis matches.

Grenadier players and spectators were confident about victory at the tennis matches.

“It’s going to be a good match,” Kevin Sacksteder, secondary education senior, said.  “We’re going to come out with another win. Our season began around March 7.”

IUS students were not the only attendees at the game.

“It’s looking really good,” Trent Wallace, high school senior, said.  “They’ve already claimed enough spots [in singles] to win.”

Wallace  said he plans to enroll at IU Southeast next semester.

For other spectators, this was their first time attending a tennis game.

“My boyfriend is playing in this game,” Bethany Sullivan, chemistry sophomore, said.  “I don’t watch tennis that much. This is the first match I have attended.”

Sullivan said she tried to understand the game.

“My boyfriend attempted to explain the game to me — I didn’t get it,” Sullivan said.

The Grenadiers have played against IU East in the past, and they won 9-0 the last time they played against IU East.

The second match against IU East still proved to be a challenge for the Grenadiers.

Walters said it was tough to pull off a perfect win against IU East the second time.

“We were a little lackadaisical, but our work in doubles made the difference,” Walters said. “We need to work on singles a bit more.”

Of particular notice was the Grenadier’s sportsmanship.

Erskin Ratchford, IU East men’s  tennis head coach, said the Grenadiers displayed impressive sportsmanship throughout the singles and doubles matches.

“Their desire to compete and their sportsman-like behavior were good,” Ratchford said. “They’re a good bunch of guys.”

The IU East and Grenadier players sat together on the same benches during the matches.

“Their sportsmanship is really good,” Ratchford said.

Ratchford said he was very impressed with the Grenadiers’ performance.

“They outmatched us with their movement and their footwork,” Ratchford said.  “They are very physically conditioned.”

Ratchford said he remains hopeful regarding his team and is working with his team to improve.

“We made some good shots, too, but we got tired out,” Ratchford said. “Because we were a bit tired, we made more high-risk shots. We need to get more physically conditioned, so we don’t get as tired. We know what we need to work on.”

Ratchford said he understands his players may get a bit discouraged by this loss.

“No one likes to lose, but it is good experience,” Ratchford said. “It was a tough match, but tough matches make you stronger.”

During the game, Megan Graf, assistant athletic trainer, was on standby in case any of the players got injured.

“I mostly just hang out, and help if someone gets hurt,” Graf said. “People don’t get hurt that often, but anything can happen.”

Graf said because tennis is a non-contact sport, injuries are especially rare.

There were no injuries.

However, Graf had to assist one IU East player who needed an ice pack for his ankle.

On their next game, the Grenadiers will face Asbury  University.

“They are the only conference team we haven’t faced yet,” Walters said.

The Grenadiers will face IU East again in the future.

“We will see IU Southeast again in the conference,” Ratchford said.

Ratchford said he was enthusiastic about his team’s match with the Grenadiers.

By BRADLEY COOPER

Staff

bradcoop@ius.edu