Spartans Draw Iowa in First Round of Big Ten Tournament
4/21/2021 4:46:00 PM | Men's Tennis
EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan State men's tennis team will play Iowa in the first round of the 2021 Big Ten Men's Tennis Tournament on Thursday, April 29 at 11 a.m. ET in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The Big Ten Conference announced the bracket on April 21.
The Spartans (5-13, 5-11 Big Ten) defeated the Hawkeyes in Iowa City on March 21, 4-3, when Iowa was ranked No. 48 in the ITA rankings. Iowa (5-12, 5-10 Big Ten) enters the tournament as the No. 4 seed in the West Division, while the Spartans are the No. 5 seed in the East Division.
"We're excited about the opportunity to compete in the Big Ten Tournament," said Michigan State head coach Gene Orlando. "The guys are working hard and getting ready to play Iowa one more time. We played them at their place and snuck out with a 4-3 win. We know we're in for a dogfight every match, especially in the postseason."
The winner of the MSU-Iowa match will face East No. 1 seed Ohio State on Friday, April 30 at 11 a.m. ET.
Eleven programs will play in the 2021 tournament, which will take place April 29-May 2 at the University of Nebraska's Sid and Hazel Dillon Tennis Center in Lincoln.
"We've had a week off and even though the schedule (at the end of the regular season) has been tough of late, the team's focus has been incredible and we had a great week of practice," said Orlando. "We're a young team, but (Nick) Williams and (Carson) Gates have been great leaders and have really kept the team centered. I believe we're going into the tournament with a good mindset."
The Big Ten Tournament semifinals will be played May 1 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. (ET), while the conference championship match is set for May 2 at 12 p.m. (ET) on Big Ten Network+.
Fans can also stay up to date with the tournament at the tournament central page on the Big Ten Men's Tennis page.
The Big Ten Conference announced the bracket on April 21.
The Spartans (5-13, 5-11 Big Ten) defeated the Hawkeyes in Iowa City on March 21, 4-3, when Iowa was ranked No. 48 in the ITA rankings. Iowa (5-12, 5-10 Big Ten) enters the tournament as the No. 4 seed in the West Division, while the Spartans are the No. 5 seed in the East Division.
"We're excited about the opportunity to compete in the Big Ten Tournament," said Michigan State head coach Gene Orlando. "The guys are working hard and getting ready to play Iowa one more time. We played them at their place and snuck out with a 4-3 win. We know we're in for a dogfight every match, especially in the postseason."
The winner of the MSU-Iowa match will face East No. 1 seed Ohio State on Friday, April 30 at 11 a.m. ET.
Eleven programs will play in the 2021 tournament, which will take place April 29-May 2 at the University of Nebraska's Sid and Hazel Dillon Tennis Center in Lincoln.
"We've had a week off and even though the schedule (at the end of the regular season) has been tough of late, the team's focus has been incredible and we had a great week of practice," said Orlando. "We're a young team, but (Nick) Williams and (Carson) Gates have been great leaders and have really kept the team centered. I believe we're going into the tournament with a good mindset."
The Big Ten Tournament semifinals will be played May 1 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. (ET), while the conference championship match is set for May 2 at 12 p.m. (ET) on Big Ten Network+.
Fans can also stay up to date with the tournament at the tournament central page on the Big Ten Men's Tennis page.
A Mental Journey | Spartans All-Access
Thursday, January 23
Harry Jadun | Men's Tennis Press Conference | Jan. 14 2025
Tuesday, January 14
Ozan's Historic Run | Spartans All-Access
Wednesday, November 27
Harry Jadun | Men's Tennis Press Conference | Nov. 18 2024
Monday, November 18