No. 27 Hoosiers prepare for weekend showdowns versus No. 21 Tennessee, Ball State

Like the recent bitter cold weather that’s struck southern Indiana, the No. 27 women’s tennis team is about to be exposed to the toughest portion of its season schedule. \nAfter handily defeating Marquette and Morehead State last weekend, the Hoosiers will take on No. 21 Tennessee and Ball State this Sunday. \nLike the Hoosiers, Tennessee has also had tough competitions. Last month, the Volunteers defeated No. 5 North Carolina 4-3. The Vols then lost on Feb. 3 to No. 20 Wake Forest, a team also on the Hoosiers’ schedule, 4-3.\nIU coach Lin Loring said the team is aware of the challenges ahead, but feels this season has prepared them well for the upcoming challengers. \n“We know they’re a really good team,” Loring said. “We know it’s going to be a big challenge for us. We’ve just got to keep working hard.”\nSophomore Lindsey Stuckey said the team is feeling confident playing a high-ranked opponent after having played Duke and Kentucky.\n“Tennessee will definitely be a really tough team to play, but we’ve had experience playing other teams just as good,” Stuckey said. “We’ve just got to stay positive and know that we have a chance to beat them.”\nLoring said every match the team has played up to this point has helped the team’s development.\n“Again, with the young players we have, every match they play just helps us get ready for the next one,” Loring said. “I feel like we’ve gotten a lot of doubles in, and I think the players are learning more and more what to expect.”\nJunior Alba Berdala agreed, saying after last weekend’s matches the team is mentally prepared for Tennessee.\n“Playing every single team helps, whether they’re good or bad,” Berdala said. “It’s not the way you play; it’s the way you’re thinking.”\nLoring is also looking ahead to next Saturday’s match against the Demon Deacons, hoping that this weekend offers some more practice for the Hoosiers.\n“We’re really looking forward to this match,” Loring said. “It will certainly help us get ready for the Wake Forest match, another highly ranked team. We’re getting to the point in our schedule where all the matches will be tough.”\nTennessee presents a dangerous duo with the second-best doubles team in the country in Caitlin Whoriskey and Zsofia Zubor. Zubor is also ranked No. 95 individually.\nUnlike Tennessee, Ball State poses less of a threat. The Hoosiers have already competed against the Cardinals this season when they hosted the Indiana Doubles Invitational back in January. The Hoosiers won all four of their doubles matches with the Cardinals that weekend.\nIU enters Sunday’s matches with a 6-1 record after defeating both Marquette and Morehead State 7-0 last weekend.\nEarlier this season, Ball State hosted Marquette and fell to the Golden Eagles, 7-0. \nThe Hoosiers will take on Tennessee at 10 a.m. and Ball State at 3 p.m. Both matches will take place at the IU Tennis Center.