Seniors play last matches at home

Climbing the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's team rankings was no easy task for Lin Loring and the IU women's tennis team. But its biggest challenge to date awaits the Hoosiers as they close out the Big Ten regular season against conference leader Illinois and in-state rival Purdue.\nSaturday, IU (15-6, 7-1 Big Ten) battles with the Big Ten's top squad in what could decide the regular season conference champion. IU sits one game back of Illinois, tied for second place with Northwestern and fighting for a first round bye in the conference championships.\nBut no team has been as hot lately as IU -- winner of six in a row, including four road wins. A team overlooked in the fall season, IU rose to a No. 25 ranking while dismantling the rest of the Big Ten. Focusing on team depth with strong doubles play, the Hoosiers look to pull off the last of their many upsets in the 2004 season and spoil the Illini's 11-match winning streak.\nNo. 1 singles player junior Dora Vastag slipped in the ITA individual rankings to No. 48 after splitting her singles matches last weekend with a win at Iowa and a loss at Minnesota. Her 1-1 weekend moves her spring season record to 12-8 as she tries to guide IU deep into the postseason. \nFour of Vastag's eight losses have come against players ranked in the top 25, and just around the corner for Vastag is Illinois' No. 44 Jennifer McGaffigan, sister of IU freshman Laura McGaffigan. Holding a 6-3 Big Ten record, Jennifer McGaffigan is Illinois' only ranked singles player on a squad equally as deep as IU.\nAlso acknowledged by the new ITA rankings was the Hoosiers' powerhouse doubles duo of senior Linda Tran and sophomore Sarah Batty. Posting an impressive 10-1 record, the No. 33 ranked doubles tandem in the nation will need to start IU off with a win to capture the doubles point in what promises to be a tight match at every position. \nThe Hoosiers, who have changed their doubles lineup several times this spring, have found several winning combinations in win after win. This weekend, Tran and Batty will need to add Illinois' No. 15 McGaffigan and Cynthya Goulet to their list of upsets if a number one seed in the tournament is to become a reality.\nAgainst Illinois, IU holds the 28-6 advantage in the series with ten wins over the last 13 meetings, yet the Hoosiers defend their courts as underdogs, a role common to the Cream and Crimson after playing one of the NCAA's most grueling schedules.\nSunday, against the less-powerful but equally hated Boilermakers, three seniors close out their collegiate careers at the IU Tennis Center on Senior Day. Tran, along with fellow captains Martina Grimm and Karie Schlukebir will fight to win their last match on IU soil, extending the Hoosiers' undefeated home record against the Big Ten.\nThe action begins at 10 a.m. Saturday against Illinois. Senior Day kicks off at 10 a.m. Sunday.