Hoosiers roll against Midwest competition

The women’s tennis team picked up two victories, bringing its overall season record to the mark of 3-1.

The Hoosiers played the Western Michigan Broncos and the Butler Bulldogs on Saturday. They defeated both opponents, 7-0.

In the Western Michigan match, the ladies won 2-of-3 doubles matches, earning them the doubles point.

The tandem of sophomore Kayla Fujimoto and senior Genya Vertesheva defeated its opponents 8-2.

Sophomore Sophie Garre and freshman Shannon Murdy defeated their opposition 8-3.

The lone defeat for the Hoosiers came at the hands of Bronco duo Nini Sujashvili and Kathleen Hawkins when they defeated junior Leslie Hureau and freshman Katie Klyczek 8-4.

In singles action, the Hoosiers did not lose a single match.

The winners in straight sets were Hureau, Vertesheva, Klyczek and Fujimoto.

Freshmen Carolyn Chupa (No. 79 in the nation) and Alecia Kauss outlasted their opponents, winning the deciding third set to take their victories.

Overall, the Hoosiers beat the Broncos by a combined total of 98-47.

Later in the day, the Hoosiers took on their in-state neighbor to the north, the Butler Bulldogs.

The team switched the lineup a bit, looking to gain more experience for the young team.

The Hoosiers won every singles match in straight sets and all the doubles matches by wide margins.

The winners in the singles matches were Vertesheva, Klyczek, Chupa, Fujimoto and Murdy.

Kauss also vanquished her opponent, not losing a single game, and took the match 6-0, 6-0.

In doubles action, the pairings of Chupa/Klyczek, Vertesheva/Fujimoto and Kauss/Murdy defeated their opponents by a combined total of 24-6 games.

Overall, the Hoosiers defeated the Bulldogs by a combined total of 96-24 games played.

IU Coach Lin Loring said he was very pleased with the outcomes of the matches.

“We were confident we could beat both teams,” Loring said. “We were worried about Western Michigan because they always play doubles well.”

The ability to play a high number of women in the two matches was beneficial for helping the team, which has five freshmen, to gain some valued experience, Loring said.

“We were pleased with the weekend,” Loring said. “Eight different girls played, and when half the team is freshmen, you don’t know when you need them down the line for singles or doubles. It was a really good match.”

The Hoosiers will look to push their team record to 5-1 and will continue their season Feb. 4 when they travel east to take on the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University tennis teams.

The Hoosiers will play the Bearcats at 11 a.m. and the Musketeers at 4 p.m.