Qualifying for the ITA National Team Indoor Championships has been an aspiration for the men’s tennis team for some time now. Only a week after their first loss of the season, the Huskies will fly to Georgia to try to qualify for the tournament.

The Huskies will compete in a four-team draw, the winner of which will be awarded one of 16 bids to the ITA National Team Indoor Championship.

“It would mean an awful lot. It would be like making the Sweet 16 in the NCAA championships,” coach Matt Anger said.

With the recent loss to Ohio State five days and 2,000 miles behind them, the Huskies are focused on their upcoming match against No. 44 Indiana.

“We’re in Georgia now and we’re totally getting ready for our first opponent, Indiana. That’s the fun part about tennis. There’s no time to dwell,” Anger said.

If the Huskies win that match, they will play the winner of the No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 52 South Carolina match.

The Bulldogs are the two-time defending national champion. The UW faced off against Georgia last year in the ITA National Team Indoor Championship, losing 4-2. And while many of the same players return from that team, this year’s squad is a lot different.

“That was over a year ago” said Anger. “It’d be totally different if it was three months later, let alone 12 months later.”

To win their first road matches against these quality opponents, the Huskies need to keep focused on their own courts and play some good tennis.

“We need to make sure each person is taking care of business on their own court while staying as tough as possible without losing any focus throughout the match,” Anger said.

One Husky looking to improve over last week is sophomore David Chu. Chu lost both his sets 6-0, but has been working hard to replace any sour memory against Ohio State with sweet ones in Georgia.

“The great thing about David [Chu] is his heart and his determination,” said Anger. “That match isn’t going to set him back one bit.”

Reach reporter Zach Ruby at sports@dailyuw.com.