RELIVE THE JOURNEY: PHOTO GALLERIES
NCAA FIRST ROUND: Illinois def. Western Michigan, 4-0
NCAA SECOND ROUND: Illinois def. Michigan, 4-2
NCAA ROUND OF 16: Illinois def. Ole Miss, 4-3
NCAA QUARTERFINAL: Illinois def. Ohio State, 4-2
NCAA SEMIFINAL: Illinois def. Baylor, 4-3
NCAA FINALS: Illinois vs. Georgia; A Gallery Dedicated to the Fans
June 11, 2007
The 2007 Illinois men's tennis team took fans, coaches and alumni alike on a roller coaster of excitement this past season. Starting the season off winning seven of their first eight matches, the Illini then hit a rough spot midway through the season as they fell victim to trials and injuries. However, through all of it, they battled back to win nine of their last 11 contests to finish Big Ten regular season, Big Ten Tournament and NCAA Runner-ups.
Through it all, however, Fighting Illini fans have remained constant. As a special thanks from the 2007 Illinois men's tennis team, head coach Brad Dancer and assistant coach Kent Kinnear, THANK YOU Illini fans for another great season and your never-ending support.
Below are a collection of quotes from ESPN, the team and coaches about your support this past season.
Pre-game to Illinois vs. Georgia, NCAA Finals
ESPN Broadcasters
"It definitely is getting harder and harder to hear in this stadium over all the yelling and loud Illinois fans that are here today. These have to be some of the best traveling collegiate tennis fans in the country."
First and Second rounds: Illinois 4, Western Michigan 0; Illinois 4, Michigan 2
Head Coach Brad Dancer
"I just wanted to thank everyone who came out and supported these guys this weekend. It was a true team effort, and Ryan was a fighter to come back and seal the win for us when we needed it. I thought we didn't come out ready to play in the doubles (against Michigan) and I let the guys hear about it in the locker room. We just told them to go out and swing it in singles, and you saw that in Ruben and Kevin's wins. They set the tone to allow Ryan to feel like he had a chance to win it for us in the end. It also was great to win this match in front of our fans and we could not have done this without them."
Round of 16: Illinois 4, Ole Miss 3
Junior All-American Kevin Anderson
"The atmosphere was great out there. I felt like as the match drew on, more and more spectators where making their way over. Our Illinois fans were just great!"
Senior GD Jones
"I think in the past, we have always had the talent to advance but have fallen in the Round of 16 the last two years. We have just put things together here at the end and have been able to show our strength in singles even after not playing our best in doubles. It was great to get the win today and to do it with so many Illini supporters behind us. "
Quarterfinals: Illinois 4, Ohio State 2
Head Coach Brad Dancer
"This is what Illinois Tennis is about - the tradition of the loudest and most faithful fans in the country. Anyone that has seen us play to a packed house at home knows our fans provide the best home court advantage possible. We had that home crowd away from home today against Ohio State, and it's what got us the win."
"You could feel the difference out on court (against Ohio State). Even though we lost the doubles point our crowd was relentless in encouraging the guys on, urging them to victory."
"We have already played Ohio State twice this year and I thought that number three would be the match. All Marc had to do was get back to his basics. Be calm, cool and collected in his match to seal the win. With that said though, I honestly do not think we would have won without the fans. The Illini nation was in full force today. We have absolutely unbelievable fans!"
Sophomore 2007 NCAA All-Tournament Team Member Marc Spicijaric "I just cannot stop smiling. I am so excited to move on. I don't even care about the regular season or the Big Ten Conference. I'm here to win a national championship. I think we would not be here without our preparation. I can't say enough about the fans either. They were awesome! They definitely helped us get through the match today. I had them behind my back the whole time."
Semifinals: Illinois 4, Baylor 3
Junior All-American Ryan Rowe
"I think it gave me a big boost to come from behind today. Anytime you can fight off a couple of match points, you gain confidence by it. I also could hear the whole time the crowd behind me. I have played a tough match every time we've played in this tournament and I think our coaching staff has prepared me well for a match like today. When I saw that it was coming down to my match, I knew that with this fan support and my teammates behind me, I could win."
Finals: Georgia 4, Illinois 0
Head Coach Brad Dancer
"To hear our 100 or so fans out cheering and screaming against 4,000 Bulldog fans was incredible. Our crew, clad in orange and dressed in face paint, was so loud that during warm-ups I actually had to bring the guys inside to not distract them."
"When the guys drove up to the stadium pre-game and saw this sea of orange and then having those people banging on the bus doors as we did a drive by - the energy was electric. This is something professional tennis players don't get to see or experience."
"This was a tremendous experience for us and I saw some tremendous growth by this team. We learned a lot, and they learned a lot about themselves, and I think in the long run, this will feed the hunger for a run next year. I know that I speak for everyone on this team when I say this, a huge THANK YOU should go out to the fans. I know this team put me and everyone on a great ride this year and we are appreciative of the Illini nation and all those who drove or flew through the night to be here to cheer us on."
SPECIAL THANKS:
Freshman Billy Heiser
"If you look at our record and home, it's obvious that we play well in front of our home crowd. A huge part of our success this postseason was due to the tremendous effort our fans made to come cheer us on in Athens. There was no other group of fans that supported their team like our fans did.
Whether it was the slow clap for Ruby or the left elbow against Baylor to win the match for Marc, our fans really made a difference. I hope they come out in full force next spring and hopefully they know how appreciative we are for their efforts."
Assistant Coach Kent Kinnear
The Illini fans were incredible! On Saturday against Ohio State, we were being introduced opposite Ohio State on center court, and our fans were just going crazy. Our guys were hopping around and ready to go and it really set the tone for our team to get out of the blocks strong and be ready for a tough battle. We lost the doubles point, but our guys, with the help of the crowd, stayed right there and battled right on down the line. In the end, the players and fans finished strong with the team victory. It was a special day for the team, and the guys pulled a lot of inspiration from the Illini orange and blue, the I-L-L-I-N-I in the crowd backing them up on every point.
In the final match against Georgia, our fans were outnumbered probably 20 to 1 since there was a huge sold out home crowd. Our fans though, some who had driven all night, were so loud and supportive behind each Illinois player that the home court advantage was minimized. It was an incredible atmosphere to compete in and I couldn't be more proud of the Illini nation, both athletes and fans, and the effort all the way around as we all poured our hearts out to win a national championship for the University of Illinois.
It was a great run, coming up just short of the national title, but the guys experienced something incredible. Special thanks to their fight and the Illini fans and they're already eager for next year's season to build on this momentum.
