MAC teams invade IU

After coming up inches short in a 4-3 loss to the University of Louisville Cardinals, the No. 53 Hoosiers welcome a pair of opponents to the IU Tennis Center this weekend in the Ball State Cardinals, at noon Saturday and finishing up Sunday at 2:30 pm against the Western Michigan Broncos.\nThe Cardinals come in with a record of 5-3 and winners of three consecutive matches. Ball State also boasts a roster of six returning players from a team winning the Mid-American Conference and participated in the NCAA tournament.\nWestern Michigan also looks to present a challenge to the Hoosiers as it comes to Bloomington with four seniors while riding a four-match winning streak with a record of 6-2. One of the Broncos victories came against the Big Ten's Wisconsin Badgers by a score of 6-1.\nThough the Hoosiers' opponents come from the MAC conference, it doesn't mean IU will have an easy time this weekend, IU coach Ken Hydinger said.\n"We've had historically tough matches with Ball State," Hydinger said. "Whenever you are playing a conference champion, you got a good match." \nFor the Hoosiers, this weekend will mark the first two of a five-match homestand. In that stretch, the Hoosiers will face-off against four ranked opponents. Beside the Broncos and Cardinals, the Hoosiers will match-up against the No. 29 Virginia Cavaliers, as well as the North Carolina State Wolfpack from the Atlantic Coast Conference. \nThe following week, the Hoosiers will start up Big Ten play with an improving No. 37 Northwestern team March 5. This will also be the same date the team holds its annual Dinners with Doubles event.\nFor the Hoosiers, this is a welcome opportunity to be able to play for the next three weekends at home. Last year, the Hoosiers had to endure a tough stretch in which they had seven consecutive matches on the road while traveling from as far north as Madison, Wisc., to as far south as Atlanta. \n"Five matches at home are huge," sophomore John Stone (4-4) said. "Having homecourt advantage and having loud and proud fans will be nice."\nDoubles play continues to be a mix of good and bad as the Hoosiers got off to an impressive showing against Indiana State and Murray State, but lost all three matches to Louisville. The importance of the point is recognized, but will not be overshadowed by the fact that the match isn't over if doubles is lost.\n"It is obviously an important point," junior Jakub Praibis (5-0) said. "I would never look at it as something bad if we lose doubles though."\nFor the Hoosiers, this five-match stretch at home is being viewed as a big opportunity not only to improve for the rest of the season, but also down the line for a possible NCAA berth at the end of the year, Hydinger said.\n"These matches will have implications on whether or not we get into the NCAA's or not," Hydinger said. "If we beat people that will be in the NCAA's, that will help us. These five matches will be important for that."\n-- Contact staff writer Dan Click at daaclick@indiana.edu.