With the season starting a week after coming back to campus, the Wildcats knew staying in shape over break would be critical for a strong start.

“It’s up to the guys to make sure they stay in shape,” assistant coach Chris Drake said. “Everyone seemed like they did a pretty good job over the break (coming) back in shape and ready to go.”

Team captain Alex Sanborn said training at home is harder to carry out because he lacks the motivation he gets from his teammates, but the sophomore said training is vital for his peak performance. Sanborn said he does many of the same exercises the team does at school when he is back at home, including lifting weights and running sprints.

In addition to sustaining his physique, Sanborn said he also tries to stay sharp mentally while taking his three-week long break.

“I have a lot of friends from back home who are good players, so I hit with them a lot,” Sanborn said. “Just playing a lot keeps you focused.”

The Cats will need to be focused this weekend as they will endure a doubleheader against University of Illinois-Chicago and University of Chicago on Sunday. This will be the only time the Cats face two opponents on the same day this season.

Drake said the team will focus on hitting a lot of balls and regaining a rhythm this week. The preparation will not be any different, and the small roster will keep the same people playing, Drake said.

“The idea is just to get as much match play (as possible) under their belts before we head off to other matches,” Drake said. “Getting the young guys experience and the old guys back to a match play frame of mind (will be the goal).”

As for the break between the two matches, Drake said the team will not be doing too much. The team will eat, rest and regroup. The Cats will also need to stay focused mentally after playing UIC at 2 p.m. at the Combe Tennis Center to be ready to face the Maroons at 7 p.m., Drake said.

Though Sanborn said he’s never played a doubleheader in college, he’s done it previously in junior leagues and said he feels the team is in good enough shape for the challenge.

While Sanborn said he feels the team is ready for the coming weekend, sustaining effort will be his main goal for the season.

“(I want to) make sure that everyone’s working hard all the time,” Sanborn said. “(I want to) motivate people to stay focused and just practice hard.”

Reach Franklin Kao at [email protected].