Indiana women's tennis celebrated this past weekend in Tennessee after sophomore Laura Masic and redshirt freshman Lara Schneider won the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regional Championships on Sunday.
The Hoosiers saw elite tennis talent from across the Ohio Valley Region, playing teams like Purdue, the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville. Both Masic and Schneider took on several ranked teams including No. 16 Andrea Di Palma and Rhea Verma from Louisville. The five-day tournament was hosted by Middle Tennessee State University.
They also beat Louisville in two sets, winning 6-2 in the first and finishing it off with a 6-0 win.
Masic and Schneider beat Kentucky in the final match winning in two sets, 6-3 and 6-2, to be crowned ITA Regional Champions. With its victory Sunday, Indiana has also qualified for the ITA National Championship.
The Hoosiers didn't have any doubles teams ranked in the preseason polls.
“To be the underdog felt really good because we were able to definitely swing through our shots more without as much pressure,” Schneider said. “We're able to focus on ourselves more rather than what the other teams were. We're just able to play.”
Head coach Ramiro Azcui said he was proud of the celebration he shared with his players and what they were able to display on a championship stage.
“They can start to see the things that we've been preaching to them about trying to get better,” Azcui said. “I think they felt that in the matches. We just have to keep working hard and results will come.”
Indiana only has one more tournament in their fall schedule. Five hoosiers will travel this weekend to the Alabama Classic Tournament in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Masic and Schneider will play in the ITA Fall National Championship taking place from Nov. 4-7 in San Diego, California. Both Masic and Schneider will represent Indiana as one of the top 32 doubles teams in the nation.
