By Jeffrey Cohen | Sports Writer
No. 11 Baylor men’s tennis rode into an early February match against No. 8 Texas A&M after dropping its first two matches against ranked opponents. The Bears struggled to gain an edge over then-No. 5 TCU in Fort Worth and then-No. 8 San Diego.
Head coach Michael Woodson knew the Baylor faithful would show up wearing all black for the Monday night match.
“Mike promised us that we’re going to have a lot of fans,” graduate Alexandru Chirita said. “He promised us that they’ll come.”
The revival of the Battle of the Brazos proved to be a classic. Baylor lost the doubles point but turned the match around in singles, capping off the 4-1 victory with a roar from the crowd as Chirita clinched the win and got mobbed by his teammates.
“I was expecting a huge crowd, and it was actually crazy,” Chirita said. “Everybody went crazy. I was so excited for it.”
The Bears got over an early-season hump, securing their first ranked win.
The difference? Playing on home court.
The Baylor fans at the Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center and Hurd Tennis Center have given the Bears one of the most formidable home court advantages in the nation.
“It hasn’t always been perfect, but I think the fans make a huge difference,” Woodson said. “I really appreciate their efforts in helping pull our guys through.”
Baylor (19-7, 5-1 Big 12) continues to protect its home court, boasting a dominant 14-1 record at home.
“They love playing in front of their fans,” Woodson said. “It’s a big thing for us to defend our home court.”
Protecting home court is not just a goal for the Bears, it is a motivator. The guys on the team have expressed throughout the season how they play for each other and for Baylor along with its fans.
That motivation has lifted the Bears through a gauntlet of a schedule. Baylor is 5-0 against top-25 teams that travel to Waco, including the marquee victory against then-No. 1 Ohio State on March 5. The Bears’ first win over a top-ranked team since 2011 came in front of an exuberant crowd at the Hurd Tennis Center.
“It’s the biggest reason why they love to compete,” Woodson said. “It’s important to understand that and to appreciate it, and then for them to utilize the home court advantage.”
Beyond just the wins, the Bears embrace each moment with their supporters. Whether it’s clinching a major upset victory or simply earning a break, they have learned to appreciate the energy a packed house can bring.
“You break someone and the whole crowd is going nuts,” senior Luc Koenig said. “It really gets in that other guy’s head. It gets you pumped up.”
Baylor has not seen the same results on the road despite its success at home. It started 0-4 in away matches, dropping three of those matchups to teams ranked in the top 10. The biggest upset against the Bears came from No. 32 Illinois’ 4-1 win in Urbana-Champaign, Ill.
“When we go on the road, it’s the complete opposite, and it’s really difficult,” Woodson said.
The Bears have recently started to gain some traction when hitting the road. They have gone 5-1 away from home since falling to Illinois, including a sweep of No. 25 Arizona State in Tempe.
Baylor’s final Big 12 home match is set for 1 p.m. Sunday against No. 4 TCU. But first, the Bears will have to go through Texas Tech at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Don and Ethel McLeod Tennis Center in Lubbock. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.
