Conference showdowns for IU

The final two conference road games of the season are in store for the women's tennis team this weekend as they travel east to challenge two Big Ten foes. \nConference winning streaks are on the line when IU travels to Columbus, Ohio, to take on Ohio State at 2:30 p.m. today. IU (13-7, 4-2 Big Ten) and Ohio State (15-6, 6-0) are riding three- and six-match conference winning streaks, respectively.\nAfter a day off Saturday, the Hoosiers head to University Park, Penn., to battle Penn State. The Nittany Lions (12-5, 4-2) are having their best conference season in the school's limited Big Ten history. Their four wins already exceed their previous season high.\nThe Buckeye match promises to be intense for the Hoosiers. Last season, IU fell 4-3, with the decision coming down to the last matchup. This year, there will be little room for error.\n"We are going to have to go there and play consistently," coach Lin Loring said. "There are no give-me matches. We will have to play well all the way down the line, because every individual match will be tough. Also the doubles will be big."\nDoubles is one area in which the Hoosiers have been excelling.\nThe No. 3 doubles combination of senior Jennifer Hsia and junior Amanda Field has won seven consecutive matches and is 16-4 overall, including a perfect 3-0 in the Big Ten. \nThe Buckeyes return all eight players from a team that had the best regular season conference record last year. They are lead by last season's Big Ten Player of the Year, Kristy Dascoli. Dascoli, at the No. 1 singles, will match up against IU's top player, senior Kelly Blanch. \n"I think if Kelly plays well, she can beat her," Loring said. "Dascoli has been kind of up and down all season, but she's on her game every year we've played her. Maybe she's due for an off game against us."\nDespite Ohio State's perfect record and experience, the Hoosiers said they aren't intimidated. \n"Even though Ohio State is the favorite and are undefeated, I think they are very beatable," junior Karie Schlukebir said. "We match up well with them, and I think if we all play our best we can win."\nFreshman Linda Tran gets her first shot at the Buckeyes and agrees with Schlukebir.\n"I think experience could be a factor, but there is a good chance that they won't be expecting us to play well," Tran said. "So we can surprise them."\nThe Penn State match could also be a rough battle for IU.\nPenn State is led by the solid play of Pilar Montgomery, whose overall record is 26-8 at No. 1 singles. She is joined by Rebecca Ho for the No. 1 doubles tandem. That duo is 19-10 this season. \nEven though this is somewhat a surprise year for Penn State, the Hoosiers are prepared for a fight.\n"Penn State is much improved, so it is going to be a tough match," Loring said. "They are going to finish better this year in the Big Ten then they ever have. They are playing well, especially at home. So that's a big match for us"