URBANA — Aleks Vukic sat on a bench, staring straight ahead at nothing in particular.
Jared Hiltzik gathered up his tennis bag and exited the playing surface for the final time as an Illini at the Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex.
Illinois coach Brad Dancer and assistant coach Marcos Asse conferred for a few minutes on the baseline of Court No. 3. All the while, the hometown Illinois fans quickly left with nary a sound.
Disappointed and shocked summed up exactly how the Illinois men’s tennis team felt in the immediate aftermath of a surprising 4-0 loss to Mississippi State on Saturday in the second round of the NCAA tournament.