It’s easy to learn a great amount about a team simply based on how it responds to a difficult loss during the season. A team can either fall victim to a loss as a single defeat, where it turns into a season-long disease or a team can get back up, dust the loss off and ask, when’s our next match?

The later attitude was one displayed by the Illinois State men’s tennis team this weekend.

The Redbirds ran into their first loss of the season against Indiana University only to return on Sunday with a dominant win over Northern Illinois University.  

“We weren’t too happy with how things went on Friday,” ISU head coach Cris James said. “We expect a lot out of ourselves and that’s why we returned Sunday and took care of business.”

ISU vs. Indiana

The Redbirds’ double-header road trip began on Friday as the team traveled to Bloomington, Ind., where it lost the match 7-0 to nationally-ranked No. 45 Indiana.   

“We were good enough talent-wise to win the match,” James said. “Unlike us, Indiana was just willing to take risks and go for big shots in key moments.”

The only win of the day came from double partners senior Timon Reichelt and sophomore Alexander Pelaez as they defeated Santiago Gruter and Jeremy Langer of Indiana on the No. 1 court, 8-4.

It was a difficult day for the Redbirds in singles play. Reichelt began the day losing to Langer, 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4), while Pelaez was defeated by Josh MacTaggart, 5-7, 6-3, 6-0.

Senior Filip Miljevic lost in straight sets to Santiago Gruder, 6-2, 6-4, while senior Matej Zlatkovic lost his singles match to Claes Goransson, 7-5, 6-4.

In doubles play, Zlatkovic and freshman Tuomas Manner fell to MacTaggart and Stephen Vogl, 8-0. Milijevic and freshman Mya Smith-Dennis were defeated by Will Kendall and Isade Juneau in a close third court match, 9-8 (8-6).

“It’s a tough loss,” James said. “We need to forget about it… and learn from this match.”

ISU vs. NIU

On Sunday, the Redbirds traveled up north where they quickly jumped out of their one-day slump by stomping on NIU, 6-1.

The two teams began Sunday’s matches with singles play as Pelaez led the way with his win over Maksym Bartiuk, 6-1, 6-3.

Milijevic defeated Axel Lagerlof in straight-sets, 6-2, 7-5, while Manner took down Roman Turtygin, 6-2, 6-4.

The only loss of the day came from Smith-Dennis after falling to Max Phillips, 6-4, 6-4.

In doubles, the Redbirds kept the wins coming as Reichelt and Pelaez found their second doubles victory of the weekend after defeating Bartiuk and Maksym, 8-4. For duo Zlatkovic and Manner, doubles play looked better as they defeated Bryant Poggensee-Wei and Lagerlof, 8-2.

“I asked a couple of guys to work on some specific things in their matches, and I think they did well and improved,” James said.

The Redbirds will continue their season next weekend as they head to Iowa City, Iowa, to face the Iowa Hawkeyes on Friday.