Hoosiers Hopeful to Make History

By: Will DeWitt
IUHoosiers.com

Bloomington, Ind. – Sam Monette and Daniel Bednarczyk aren't just teammates, they're brothers.

The two share a special relationship as they grew up competing against one another in the Canadian junior leagues. Now, after three years at Indiana in which both Monette and Bednarczyk lived together, the two have created a relationship that is stronger than a typical friendship.

The seniors have been able to take their off the court relationship and utilize it in their gameplay as they know each other's games inside and out.

"Danny knows how to calm me down in important moments," Monette said. "When I get a little too fired up or frustrated, he knows how to handle me."

Bednarczyk has a similar admiration for his teammate who he calls "very competitive."

"Sam is willing to do anything it takes to win," Bednarczyk said. "I know he is going to leave it all on the line in every match he plays."

Their close relationship has paid dividends as the duo won the doubles title at the United States Tennis Association and Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regional Championships in October, automatically securing a place in the ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championship.

Monette also reached the ITA by claiming the singles title.

In preparation for the tournament, the seniors have worked on their consistency, something they've worked on throughout the fall schedule.

"We are working on being consistent week after week," Monette said. "After winning a big tournament you have a tendency to want to let off the gas a bit, but we've worked hard to not let up and to remain consistent as we approach the ITA."

Head coach Jeremy Wurtzman has seen growth in how the two approach matches.

"They really have come a long way on how they go about their matches," Wurtzman said. "Both are getting better at hitting the ball extremely well, and I feel like they've done a great job at preparing themselves. They're ready."

Headed into nationals, confidence is high for both Monette and Bednarcyzk. Their goal is to win the entire tournament, and they said that is the only way to approach the tournament.

"We are going to compete and give everything we have," Bednarcyzk said. "It's the biggest tournament of the fall. We are going to leave it all out there for our teammates, our coaches, and the school."

Representing Indiana on a national stage is something that the men's tennis team takes very seriously. Wurtzman is proud of his two seniors and has high hopes for both them and the program.

"We're trying to make history and get into the record books," Wurtzman said. "We're working hard on a daily basis, it's been a process and they [Monette and Bednarcyzk] have been pretty successful the past few years, and it's been a great start to their senior year."

Both players claim they are not nervous, but rather they are excited to see how they stack up against the elite competition at the ITA.

Monette states that participating in nationals is a tremendous opportunity to see where they stand. The two embrace the talent level, and look at it as both a learning tool and measuring stick.

Although only two players made it to ITA, Monette said that a strong performance on their behalf would bode well for the rest of the team.

"It's good for the team," Monette said. "If we can go out and beat some of the top players in the nation, it'll inspire the team around us to work even harder at their game and it will give everyone a boost in confidence."

Entering their final fall season, both Monette and Bednarcyzk could not have asked for a better result. Having the opportunity to compete in nationals is a goal the two have been aspiring to achieve since their freshman season, and Bednarcyzk said it feels good to finally reach the ITA.

"It's a great feeling, especially in my senior year," he said. "It's good to finish my final fall the right way. We just want to do the best we can in this tournament and use this momentum to make team nationals in the spring season."

Indiana University Athletics

Next Event

Related News

Related Videos