No. 5 Fighting Irish too tough for IU

IU's women's tennis team jumped four spots in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings to No. 27 on Tuesday, but fell to No. 5 Notre Dame, 7-0.\nThe Hoosiers (9-3 overall) lost the doubles point for only the second time this season against a team that IU coach Lin Loring called the best Notre Dame team he's seen in 10 years.\nAt No. 1 doubles, senior Sarah Batty and junior Laura McGaffigan took four games from ND's Catrina and Christian Thompson, losing 8-4. The Thompson twins are the second-rated doubles team in nation.\n"They're good doubles players," Batty said. "They've been playing their whole lives together."\nThe loss dropped IU's No. 1 tandem to 10-2 on the season.\nIn the other doubles matches, sophomore Brianna Williams and freshman Sigrid Fischer lost 8-2 at the No. 2 spot to the Fighting Irish's Brook Buck and Kelcy Teft, while the No. 3 pair of junior Cecile Perton and freshman Alba Berdala fell 8-2 as well. All three of Notre Dame's doubles teams are ranked.\n"We started off playing tight," Loring said, "but once we got into the match, we held our own."\nIn singles, Fischer won the only set for the Hoosiers at the No. 5 spot, but lost to ND's Kristina Stastny 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (7). Fischer's singles record now stands at 9-3.\nBatty battled against No. 27 Catrina Thompson at No. 1 singles, but fell in two sets 6-3, 6-4.\n"I thought I could take her in singles," Batty said. "I took a few chances here and there, but she's a good player."\nMcGaffigan, who lost to No. 32 Christian Thompson 6-3, 6-1 at the No. 2 position, said the team expected to play better against the top-ranked Irish.\n"It's tough on the road," she said.\nTwo of the Hoosiers' three losses have come on the road this season against ranked opponents. The other road loss came Feb. 18 against then-No. 23 Wake Forest University.\n"In hindsight, it might have been better if we scheduled some easier road teams early in the season," Loring said. "We have yet to play a team that we are favored against on the road."\nThe schedule doesn't get any easier for the Hoosiers as they play No. 6 North Carolina at 10 a.m. Saturday at the IU Tennis Center.\n"We're all excited to play North Carolina," McGaffigan said. "We've got nothing to lose."\nOn Sunday, the Hoosiers open Big Ten play at home against Penn State at 10 a.m.