Perfect Big Ten record falls in Evanston

It was a lopsided weekend for the IU women’s tennis team. The No. 28 Hoosiers traveled to Wisconsin, where they defeated the Badgers 7-0, marking their fifth consecutive Big Ten victory.\nTraveling to Northwestern, IU took on the No. 1 Wildcats in a 6-1 loss. \nDespite the loss, the Hoosiers accomplished their main goal this week: beat Wisconsin.\nEven though the score shows the Hoosiers dominated the match, IU coach Lin Loring said the Hoosiers struggled throughout the outdoor match, even dropping behind in some sets.\n“We saw we were able to come back,” Loring said. “Wisconsin was really, really windy. That was another reason why it was good for us to get that match. When it’s that windy it really equalizes talent. I was really pleased we found a way to win.”\nSwitching up their doubles combinations, the Hoosiers won the doubles point. Junior Sigrid Fischer and freshman Myriam Sopel won their match 8-6, while junior Alba Berdala and sophomore Lindsey Stuckey also won their doubles match, 8-4.\nHowever, the Wisconsin match did not come without obstacles. Senior Brianna Williams won a difficult three-setter, defeating Morgan Tuttle 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. Zapadalova won a tight match, beating Emese Kardhordo 6-2, 7-6 (7-1).\nThe rest of the matches came easier for the Hoosiers. Berdala and Stuckey won their matches 6-4, 6-4. Freshman Charlotte Martin defeated Jessica Seyferth 6-3, 6-3, while Fischer won handily 6-3, 6-0.\nLoring said the team is happy it came away with a win against the Badgers.\n“It was really important that we beat anyone who is ranked below us,” Loring said. “It was our first conference match we played outdoors. We’re pretty pleased with the weekend that we got two outdoors matches in.”\nGaining more and experience playing outdoors was good for the Hoosiers, Martin said.\n“That was really good for us especially now we’re playing outside for the rest of the season,” she said. “It gives us so much more confidence now.”\nWhile the Northwestern match resulted in a loss, Martin said the match showed the Hoosiers’ skill level and talent are not far behind their Big Ten rivals.\n“I think it just goes to show we’re not miles and miles behind any team,” Martin said. “We can go and beat teams in the top 25.”\nStuckey also said the team feels more confident after playing the top team in the nation.\n“It was really intimidating at first,” Stuckey said. “Once we figured out that we were competitive in a lot of the matches, we could win. We could gain confidence. They are the No. 1 team in the country, but we could still give them a good match.”\nThe team is also focusing on getting a berth in the NCAA Championships. Stuckey said the team’s play this weekend made the players think they will be assured a spot in the tournament.\n“I think if we stay steady then we’ll be guaranteed in the NCAA,” Stuckey said. “Just playing Northwestern, it was nice to see how we stand against them. If we just stay positive, we have a good shot.\nThe Hoosiers will take on No. 62 Illinois Saturday and unranked Purdue Sunday. Both matches will take place at 11 a.m. at the IU Tennis Center.