At the tail end of five consecutive road matches that began March 30 against No. 2 Michigan, Indiana women’s tennis entered a weekend series against No. 35 Illinois and No. 37 Northwestern. The Hoosiers lost both matches 4-0.
Illinois entered the match having won five of its last seven, and the positive momentum didn’t halt against Indiana.
After splitting the first two doubles matches, Indiana freshman Elisabeth Dunac and sophomore Nicole Teodosescu were tasked with winning the doubles point, which the Hoosiers had failed to secure in their last seven bouts. The duo forced the match to 5-5, but they were ultimately outlasted 7-5, granting Illinois the early 1-0 advantage.
The singles matches did not prove to be any better for Indiana. The bottom three spots on the lineup all lost in straight sets, giving Illinois the 4-0 victory.
With its losing streak stretched to double digits, Indiana was forced to turn around two days later to face No. 37 Northwestern, a team touting a 16-5 record with eight wins in its last nine tries.
The doubles matches continued to be an ordeal for Indiana. Northwestern quickly snagged 6-1 and 6-2 triumphs from its No. 1 and No. 2 doubles pairings, respectively.
Once again facing a 1-0 deficit, Indiana was unable to overcome its recent woes. Straight set defeats from the Hoosiers’ top three players brought the 4-0 victory to Northwestern.
The weekend losses bring Indiana’s losing streak to 11 matches, with six of its last eight defeats featuring a 4-0 scoreline. The Hoosiers’ Big Ten record moved to 0-10 — they’re the last team winless in conference play.
Indiana will attempt to find its elusive first Big Ten victory with a rivalry matchup against No. 61 Purdue (11-9, 4-6). The final match of the regular season will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the IU Tennis Center.
Follow reporter Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates through the Indiana women’s tennis season.
