The team proceeded to dominate the competition Saturday.

MSU started the tournament with a 7-0 victory over Wright State, followed by a win against Bradley, 5-2, and a 5-0 shutout against Morehead State gave the team the sweep.

Head coach Gene Orlando saw the tournament as a great start to the season and an opportunity for all the players to get more match play.

Currently in his 21st season of coaching, Orlando sees this season as having the potential to be one of his better years.

“We are catching a good wave of high level tennis,” he said. “We have almost everyone returning plus a new guy. Our expectations are higher, and we feel good about where we are.”

The team finished 53rd in the country last year and seventh in the Big Ten.

The tournament was a season-opener for the team and the start of a difficult schedule to come.

“It’s good for the guys to get the opportunity to beat a lot of ranked teams in order for us to improve our ranking for our ultimate goal,” assistant head coach Matt Roberts said.

The team’s goals are to make the NCAA and make a top-five finish in the Big Ten, Orlando said.

Brooks also recognizes the difficult schedule ahead, but he is looking forward to the challenge.

“I really want to do well against these ranked opponents, so its not that I’m nervous, I’m actually excited about it,” he said.

Senior Ronnie Hulewicz saw pros and cons in the tournament to take away, and the schedule as an opportunity to make a statement.

“We need to build on this because we are going to be playing much stronger competition in weeks ahead,” Hulewicz said. “It’s a great starting point.”

The Spartans’ next match is Friday in the MSU Indoor Tennis Facility against No. 16 Mississippi State.

Mississippi State will be the first real test for the tennis program and an indication of where they will finish this season, Brooks said.

“We are going to take the best of what we did today and take it to next week,” he said.