Hoosiers host Saturday doubleheader

The IU women's tennis team looks to improve on its unblemished spring record Saturday with a doubleheader. \nBut while one win is almost assured in the team's second match against Butler, many uncertainties surround the Hoosiers' first foe, DePaul. \nDespite a few difficult individual matches, the Hoosiers, who are 4-0, have cruised through their first four matches, outscoring opponents 24-4. Coach Lin Loring said he expects this overpowering play to continue against Butler, but he really doesn't know what he'll see from the Blue Demons.\n"DePaul is very good," he said. "They've had some injuries over the years, but they've got some good European players. It's just going to depend on how healthy they are. We're not quite sure what to expect this year."\nThe Hoosiers faced the same two teams in a doubleheader last February when IU beat DePaul 6-1 before sweeping Butler 7-0. But Loring said DePaul played uncharacteristically bad that day, and he won't count on an encore performance this time around.\nFor the second consecutive year, Butler should have an advantage in energy compared to the Hoosiers since IU's second match of the day will be the first and only action for the Bulldogs on Saturday. Butler couldn't capitalize last year, and IU senior Laura McGaffigan said the Hoosiers won't be fatigued going into the intrastate match up.\n"We always have a break in between matches, so I don't really think it will affect us for the Butler match," she said.\nIU is the only opponent on the day for DePaul as well, and sophomore Sigrid Fischer said that no matter how much rest the Hoosiers get in between matches, the team needs to stay intense against the Blue Demons.\n"I think we can win against both teams," she said. "(But) it's good that we play DePaul first because it's the harder match."\nIf Butler was as difficult an opponent as DePaul, Loring said IU wouldn't have scheduled the match as it did because it would give the Bulldogs a competitive advantage. \nThough the Hoosiers are uncertain what exactly to expect from DePaul, Loring said they're prepared to be tested. But they're also prepared for Butler, and the team acknowledges that it should beat the Bulldogs. When asked whether he had any doubts about a Hoosier letdown against Butler, Loring, the winning women's tennis coach in NCAA history, responded, "None whatsoever."\nIU begins play first at 10 a.m. Saturday against DePaul and again at 3 p.m. Saturday against Butler at the IU Tennis Center.