IU women’s tennis has a tall task ahead of itself when it faces Cincinnati and Xavier Saturday.
The two visiting opponents both have strong tennis teams which means the Hoosiers will need to play well this weekend to remain undefeated at 2-0. Cincinnati comes into the matchup with a 3-1 record and Xavier at 0-1.
Coming out with the right energy and intensity is a huge component of success in a dual match.
Each dual match starts with three doubles matches, and whichever team wins two doubles matches takes the first point of the match.
“Winning doubles is really important to us because we don’t have that added pressure our shoulders,” junior Natalie Whalen said. “If we lose, we feel like we have to do a lot better, which is counterproductive. Getting the doubles point is a relief for us heading into singles play.”
IU has played exceptionally well in doubles so far this season. In last weekend’s Crimson Invite, the Hoosiers did not drop a single doubles match. Winning the doubles point allowed IU to set the tone against Western Michigan and Butler.
“We have made an emphasis on trying to be more aggressive in getting to the net early in the rally to put pressure on our doubles opponents," IU assistant coach Ryan Miller said,
Miller said he attributes his team’s doubles success to a combination of the new players’ ability to contribute, and the older players, with two or three years of experience in the program, being comfortable in the system.
The duo of junior Madison Appel and freshman Michelle McKamey won 6-2 against Butler last weekend, and another duo, sophomore Caitlin Bernard and freshman Jelly Bozovic won both of their doubles matches against Butler and Western Michigan 6-3. The newcomers and the more experienced players are successful when they are paired up together, which is a strength IU can capitalize on throughout the season.
The Cincinnati Bearcats (3-1) come to Bloomington riding a three match win streak, taking down Butler, Wright State, and Dayton during that stretch.
The last time the Hoosiers and Bearcats met was in the Hoosier Classic in Bloomington fall of 2017. The Hoosiers went 5-4 in doubles play and 5-6 in singles play against Cincinnati.
Appel and Whalen won both of their doubles matches 8-4, 8-5, and sophomore Pauline Jahren and McKamey won two doubles matches as well, 8-6, 8-3.
The bottom half of IU’s lineup, the No.4, No.5 and No. 6 spots, were the majority of the six losses in singles play.
While fall tournaments are a different dynamic and not a dual match setting, the bottom half of the lineup will need to contribute points in this weekend’s dual match, especially against a Cincinnati team with a three-game win streak type of momentum.
Xavier (0-1) is coming off a hard-fought 4-3 loss at Bowling Green on Sunday. Xavier plays Friday evening at Eastern Kentucky, and then travels to Bloomington for Saturday’s competition.
The Hoosiers and Musketeers met at the ITA Regional in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, this past October.
Appel and Whalen beat junior Sophia Abelson and senior Lauren Ghidotti 8-7, and Bernard and senior Xiwei Cai took down senior Elizabeth Bagerbaseh and sophomore Rachael Reichenbach 8-3, securing a 2-0 advantage in doubles play.
Individually, Whalen beat Ghidotti 0-6, 7-6, 7-5, and Cai lost to Bagerbaseh 2-6, 4-6.
Whalen said that IU’s team has a lot of “hype and passion,” which will be beneficial for the Hoosiers when they face a tough double header on Saturday against two fine programs.
First serve against Cincinnati is Saturday at 10:30 a.m. followed by Xavier later in the afternoon at 4 p.m. at the IU Tennis Center.
