IU hosts Hoosier Classic

The women's tennis team will play its only home tournament this season at the Hoosier Classic Invitational at the IU Varsity Tennis Courts this weekend. \nThe invite, which starts 10 a.m. today and ends Sunday, includes two other teams from the Big Ten (Iowa and Ohio State), and three teams from the Big 12 (Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri).\nThe tournament is set up so all the singles and doubles players of the Big 10 will square off with the singles and doubles players of the Big 12.\nThe Big Ten is preparing for strong competition at the singles position with three nationally ranked players from the Big Ten schools participating. Ohio State's Erica Fisk is ranked No. 69 in the nation. Iowa's Cassie Haas is ranked No. 77, and Fisk's teammate Sadhaf Pervez is ranked No. 89. \nHoosier freshman Sarah Batty will operate out of the number one singles position for the Hoosiers. Although Batty is not ranked yet, she is coming off an impressive showing in her first collegiate tournament two weekends ago at the Bronco Invitational. Batty had IU's best singles record in the tournament at 3-1 and the best doubles record with sophomore Dominika Walterova at 2-1. \nDespite her success, Batty said there are flaws in her game that need improvement for the Hoosier Classic today.\n"There are always things to improve on after my matches," Batty said. "(For the Hoosier Classic), I'm going to be working on my attacking game, moving forwards."\nWalterova has a rather simple strategy for the Hoosier Classic.\n"I need to take advantage of my forehand because it is my weapon," she said.\nBatty and Walterova said the team, who had a combined 10-17 record in the Bronco Invitational, needs to play better this weekend to compete.\n"We are all still getting back in that groove," Batty said. "Just playing a lot of matches and getting on top of our games (is important)."\nWalterova said the team needs to focus on improving the doubles teams.\n"The new doubles combinations need some time to play and practice more...but we'll get better," Walterova said. \nIU's doubles duo of senior Karie Schlukebir and junior Linda Tran are back in action today. The doubles tandem was ranked No. 13 in the nation in the preseason according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) poll. \nDuring the summer, Schlukebir and Tran finished national runner-up at the ITA Summer National Championships. This will be their first tournament of the year together after not competing in the Bronco Invitational because preseason All-American nominees can only participate in four official tournaments. Tran said she is excited and optimistic to compete. \n"(Karie and I) are excited because it is the first time we get to play together," Tran said. "But, we can't take any team lightly"