With the men's tennis team winning 16 of the last 18 Mid-American Conference championships, the Cardinals have had to deal with the pressure of every team in the MAC focusing on them.
"Every conference match we play is a challenge," head coach Bill Richards said. "When you're the favorite and you've won as much as we have, a match against us is everyone's big match, and they are shooting for you."
After opening what Richards has deemed the "second season" with a win over Toledo last weekend, Richards said the season only gets more difficult, beginning with a road match against the Huskies of Northern Illinois Saturday.
Richards expressed his concern, namely on the play of his doubles teams, as the Cardinals (8-11 overall, 1-0 MAC) have struggled with producing consistent play. Senior Jason Pressel - the team's No. 1 doubles and singles player - has been the center of the controversy as he has struggled with finding his rhythm.
"I'm just trying to do the same thing in every match to prepare," Pressel said. "I'm coming off a couple good matches from last week, so I've got a lot more confidence in my play right now. I'm just trying to practice hard to come up with top-level play in matches I need."
Despite the team's history of success, Pressel said the challenge of overcoming the image of being the favorite in the conference is not a hindrance, but rather a source of pride, knowing the standard to which the team has to match.
"I don't really pressure to reach the levels of the past," Pressel said. "It's more pride in knowing what we've done and knowing how to accomplish what we want."
Nonetheless, the team is faced with a senior-laden Huskie squad that gave the Cardinals troubles last year at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions.
"Northern Illinois is a good team," Richards said. "They have their same No. 1 and No. 2 players who beat our guys last year. They are a team I respect and a team we're going to have to play well against."
Richards said when it gets down to it, it is a matter of individuals being ready to take on the challenge, as he said he knows that pride in their play is very much an individual achievement.
"I don't think I can answer that question," Richards said. "I don't think any coach can. It's about the competitiveness, the heart and the desire of the athlete. I can't coach that."
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