Men’s tennis took a big step this season
Although the Iowa men’s tennis team reached the same 12-9 record as last year, its accomplishments extend beyond what the record reveals. Iowa embarked on a daunting climb to overcome such Big Ten powerhouses as Ohio State and Illinois during conference play.
“In the end our record, Big Ten-wise and place-finish-wise, was exactly the same as last year,” head coach Steve Houghton said. “But the guys that are around realize that we made really big progress this year. The difference was we played a lot of teams close, one of them being Illinois, for example. Teams we have gotten blown out before by, we were much better against.”
The Hawkeyes’ improvement was significantly anchored by a mix of veteran and new talent. Senior Christian Bierich and freshman Will Vasos’ contribution on the tennis court helped Iowa win against five ranked teams during the spring season — Drake, Michigan State, Michigan, Indiana, and Purdue. Bierich, a native of Sweden, compiled an impressive 14-1 singles record in the fall en route to winning the Big Ten singles crown.
“One highlight — it seems like such a long time ago — was Christian winning the Big Ten singles title,” Houghton said. “That was a big deal. It hadn’t been done for eight or nine years.”
In fact, Bierich only lost one set on his road to becoming the conference’s singles champion.
“I knew it was my last year, so I just wanted to give it my all,” he said. “I practiced really hard.
“When I was in the final, there were no question that I was going to win. I just felt like, ‘No one is going to beat me,’ and so that was nice.”
Bierich struggled in the spring season but demonstrated his determination in the Hawkeyes’ final home match. After losing to Purdue’s Slavko Bijelica, 7-5, in the first set, Bierich’s fast serve and sharp volleying intensified and helped nab him the final two sets, 6-3, 6-4. As a result of his victory, Iowa defeated the Boilermakers, 4-3.
“I was just like, ‘I am going to run on every ball. I am a going to do everything I possibly can to win this match because I am not losing on my last match at home,’ ” said Bierich, who was named All-Big Ten.
Although the Hawkeyes had the momentum from the Purdue match heading into the Big Ten Tournament in Ann Arbor last week, Iowa was swept 4-0 by Wisconsin in the opening round.
“We took some steps forward, but obviously we weren’t happy with [the ending] as we could have been,” Vasos said. “We didn’t make NCAAs, which was one of our huge goals.”
Despite the first round defeat, Vasos and junior Tommy McGeorge made their names known in doubles competition. Although the two were paired on a whim, the duo finished with a strong 18-3 record.
“It was probably one of the most fun times I’ve ever had playing tennis,” Vasos said. “When we just played, we just really fed off each other and played really well this year, which was really solid.”
Although Houghton’s squad next year will be minus Bierich, Greg Holm, and Walker Grimes, it is brimming with rising stars. He is thankful Vasos and McGeorge have more time as Hawkeyes.
“The doubles team that really stood out was Tommy and Will,” Houghton said. “The guys overall were the only ranked team at three, which had to be one of the best records that I remember in recent years.”
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