397 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(04/27/12 4:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The No. 7-seed Hoosiers avenged arguably their worst loss of the season by beating No. 10-seed Wisconsin in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament 4-0.The doubles lineups were altered in the cream and crimson’s last match against Northwestern, and IU Coach Lin Loring kept the new doubles lineups intact against the Badgers. “We haven’t been winning the doubles point in big matches, with the exception of Ohio State,” Loring said. “We just thought, what the heck, better late than never, we’ll try some new combinations, and they played good today.”In the three slot, senior Evgeniya Vertesheva and freshman Shannon Murdy made quick work of their foes, setting the tone for the match with an 8-1 win. The first match of singles was a rematch with Hureau against Wisconsin’s Alaina Trgovich. In the April 15 match, Hureau lost in three sets. She avenged her loss by dominating 6-0, 6-0.Wrapping up the match for Indiana was Klyczek, who also won in straight sets 6-1, 7-5.The win for Indiana snaps their five-match losing streak and gives them a precious Big Ten tournament win. Loring said he thinks not having to play in Madison was an advantage for his Hoosiers.“Home court is always a big advantage in tennis because each tennis court plays differently,” Loring said. “Wisconsin was really the only bad match we played this year, so I think the girls felt like they had something to prove, and they did it today.”Indiana advances to the second round of the Big Ten Tournament to play No. 2-seeded Michigan, who had a bye in the first round. Play begins Friday at 2 p.m. Michigan, ranked No. 15 in the nation, narrowly escaped Bloomington with a victory as the Wolverines won 4-3 on April 1.
(04/27/12 2:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The No.7-seed Hoosiers avenged arguably their worst loss of the season by beating No. 10-seed Wisconsin in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament 4-0.The Hoosiers started strong by nabbing the doubles point to begin play Thursday, something they failed to do in the April 15 match against Wisconsin. The doubles lineups were drastically altered in the cream and crimson’s last match against Northwestern, and IU Coach Lin Loring kept the new doubles lineups intact for their first-round matchup against the Badgers. “We haven’t been winning the doubles point in big matches, with the exception of Ohio State,” Loring said. “We just thought, what the heck, better late than never, we’ll try some new combinations, and they played good today.”In the three slot, senior Evgeniya Vertesheva and freshman Shannon Murdy made quick work of their foes, setting the tone for the match with an 8-1 win. The one slot saw a Hoosier victory and secured the first point of the match for IU. Junior Leslie Hureau and sophomore Sophie Garre won a tight match 8-6.Sophomore Kayla Fujimoto and freshman Katie Klyczek were deadlocked in their match, but it ended before a winner was declared because the doubles point was already decided. The match was at 8-8 when play was called off.The first match of singles was a rematch with Hureau against Wisconsin’s Alaina Trgovich. In the April 15 match, Hureau lost in three sets. She avenged her loss by dominating 6-0, 6-0.After falling behind 2-0 in the first set, freshman Alecia Kauss secured the third team point for IU by winning 6-4, 6-2.Wrapping up the match for Indiana was Klyczek, also winning in straight sets 6-1, 7-5.The win for Indiana snaps their season-long five-game losing streak and gives them a precious Big Ten tournament win. Loring said he thinks not having to play in Madison was an advantage for his Hoosiers.“Home court is always a big advantage in tennis because each tennis court plays differently,” Loring said. “Wisconsin was really the only bad match we played this year, so I think the girls felt like they had something to prove, and they did it today.”Indiana advances to the second round of the Big Ten Tournament to play No. 2-seed Michigan, who had a bye in the first round. Play begins today at 2 p.m. Michigan, ranked No. 15 in the nation, narrowly escaped Bloomington with a victory as the Wolverines won 4-3 back on April 1.The match featured three Hoosiers pulling off upsets against nationally ranked competition. Most notably, Hureau took down the then-No. 10 player in the country, Emina Bektas.Loring said trying to have success against Michigan for a second time this season will be a tall task.“I think we snuck up on them the first time, and I don’t think they realized we were pretty good,” Loring said. “I don’t think we’re going to be able to sneak up on them this time, so we just have to play really, really well.”
(04/26/12 4:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Coach Lin Loring was disappointed after the match against Wisconsin on April 15, saying it was a match that got away from the Hoosiers.“Wisconsin’s a match we should have won,” Loring said. “We lost three three-setters and should have won the doubles point. But like I said, if something could go wrong, it did.”Indiana (15-10, 4-7) will look to redeem its worst loss of the the year as it plays Wisconsin (12-11, 3-8) at 2 p.m. today. The Big Ten Tournament will take place in Columbus, Ohio, at the Ohio State Tennis Complex. The No. 7-seed Hoosiers will play the No. 10-seed Badgers in a rematch of the April 15 contest in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.“We’re going to play Wisconsin again,” Loring said. “I think the kids are excited about another shot at Wisconsin because I think we played one bad match all year, and that was it.”The second match between these two teams will be merely 11 days after Wisconsin took the win on its home court. The final score that day was 5-2 in the Badgers’ favor.Indiana lost the doubles point when junior Leslie Hureau and freshman Shannon Murdy lost the deciding match 8-6. Since Murdy was inserted into the doubles lineup with Hureau on March 23, they have gone 7-2 together and were up 6-5 against a Michigan tandem when the match was called early.In the April 15 match against Wisconsin, three singles matches went into three sets, and the Badgers won all three.Indiana will benefit from having its No. 4 player back in singles action. The first time these two teams met, freshman Carolyn Chupa was out with an injury. Chupa played in the Hoosiers’ match against Northwestern this Sunday and will have a greater chance of being healthy for the upcoming match.Also, there is potential for bragging rights at the family dinner table, as Carolyn’s sister Angela Chupa plays doubles for the Badgers. The Hoosiers are in the midst of their worst losing streak of the season. They have lost their past five matches and been outscored 28-7 in total team points.Despite their recent slide, lone senior Evgeniya Vertesheva, who will play in her last Big Ten Tournament this weekend, said she thinks the scores are not indicative of how they have played recently. “I think the last couple of matches, we’ve put up a good fight against some of the top teams in the Big Ten,” Vertesheva said. “I feel we should be confident going into the tournament because on any given day, we can beat anyone.”The fact that Wisconsin will not have home-court advantage this time proves to be vital for the team, Loring said.“This is a team we should beat,” Loring said. “Minnesota/Wisconsin is just a tough road trip. It would be a good way to end the season if we could reverse that loss to Wisconsin. We’re looking forward to it.”
(04/24/12 2:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The skid continued for No. 47 Indiana, as the team lost to Illinois and Northwestern this weekend and extended its losing streak to five matches.The team started the weekend by losing to No. 21 Illinois 4-3.Action started with the doubles, and the first match went the way of the orange 8-4 when sophomore Sophie Garre and freshman Katie Klyczek lost to the No. 59 doubles tandem in the nation.IU then responded with a thumping put on by junior Leslie Hureau and freshman Shannon Murdy 8-1. With the doubles point in the balance, the orange captured the point when senior Evgeniya Vertesheva and sophomore Kayla Fujimoto lost a tight one 8-6.The doubles point was the difference in the match.Singles action began with an Illini victory, as Murdy was defeated 6-3, 6-2.In a battle of ranked competition, No. 77 Hureau took care of No. 98 Allison Falkin 6-1, 6-1. Fujimoto then added another Hoosier victory as she won in the six slot 6-4, 6-3.Illinois responded yet again, downing Vertesheva 6-4, 6-4 in the two slot. Not to be outdone, freshman Alecia Kauss stymied her foe in a close match 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7-2).With the score at three apiece, it all came down to the three slot in which Klyczek was facing Marisa Lambropoulos. After losing the first set 6-3, Klyczek took the second set in a tiebreak 6-7 (9-11). But in the third and final set of the day, Klyczek fell 6-2.The loss for Klyczek gave Illinois the conference win and handed IU its fourth consecutive loss.IU Coach Lin Loring said he was proud of how his team fought but that the theme of not being able to close the deal has stayed consistent all season for the Hoosiers.“Again, we were right there,” Loring said. “We were up 5-4 in the deciding doubles match and just couldn’t close it out, so we were literally a couple games away from beating Illinois.”The Hoosiers looked to redeem themselves when they played Big Ten powerhouse Northwestern. The Wildcats, ranked No. 12 in the nation, are the current Big Ten leaders.It was Senior Day, and IU sought to send its lone senior, Vertesheva, off into the sunset with an upset win.However, Northwestern dampened the festivities with a resounding 7-0 drubbing.Changing up the doubles lineups, Fujimoto and Klyczek were defeated 8-3 in the two slot. The Wildcats secured the doubles point when they ousted the French duo of Hureau and Garre 8-6.In her last doubles match in Bloomington, Vertesheva teamed up with Murdy to win 8-5. The Hoosiers did not fare well for the singles, either. The first to fall for IU was freshman Carolyn Chupa 6-3, 6-1. Shortly after, fellow freshman Klyczek fell 6-2, 6-3.A long gap ensued, but Hureau lost to No. 17 Kate Turvy 7-6, 6-1. Murdy fell 6-4, 5-7, 6-1, Vertesheva fell 6-2, 7-5, and Kauss fell 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.It was the last match Vertesheva would play for the cream and crimson in Bloomington. After her grueling match concluded, her whole team mobbed her with hugs. The first one was Hureau, who has been Vertesheva’s teammate for three years.“I’ve had a wonderful time here at IU,” Vertesheva said. “I’ve had wonderful support from my coaches and teammates who taught me a lot of things, and I’m very thankful to everyone who supported me throughout my years at college.”Vertesheva will be missed by her coach, who said he always admired the way she never complained.“Genya has spent her whole career here either at one or two singles, so that’s irreplaceable,” Loring said. “She’s been a star in the classroom, she’s got a 3.7 or 3.8 in economics, and she’s total low maintenance, she never needs anything, never wants anything, she’s just a coach’s dream.”
(04/20/12 2:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sunday will be Senior Day for IU, and the Hoosiers will play one of the Big Ten’s toughest teams in Northwestern.Lone senior Evgeniya Vertesheva will be honored at the end of the match, and she said she feels a particular pressure to lead her team.“I just want to do really well in my last home match,” Vertesheva said. “Especially on my Senior Day, I’ll try to play my best tennis.”Before the No. 47 Hoosiers (15-8, 4-5) return home Sunday, they will hop on the bus and travel to Champaign, Ill., to play against another top-tier conference foe in the Illinois Fighting Illini.No. 21 Illinois is one of the hottest teams in the Big Ten, which is reflected in its 15-6 overall record and 7-2 Big Ten record. After dropping three straight matches early in the season, the Illini have been humming through their schedule.They have won nine of their past 10 matches. During their streak, they have limited opposing Big Ten teams to either zero or one total team points four times.The No. 48-ranked Rachael White and Allison Falkin and the No. 59-ranked Marisa Lambropoulos and Melissa Kopinski will battle IU for the doubles point early in the action.The Illini lack highly ranked singles players, as their lone representative is No. 98 Falkin. She is likely to be on the other side of the court to IU junior Leslie Hureau, who is ranked No. 77 in the nation.The match against the orange and blue starts at 4 p.m. Friday.After battling against one of the best teams the Big Ten has to offer Friday, the Hoosiers will get no break in the schedule as they return home to play traditional conference powerhouse Northwestern on Sunday.Northwestern (15-7, 8-1) is the highest-ranked Big Ten team at No. 12 in the country, according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. After a significant, mid-season lull in which they lost five consecutive matches to high-caliber competition, the Wildcats have found their groove, winning 10 of their last 11. During their tear through the conference, they have beaten eight nationally ranked teams.The big purple is anchored by No. 17 Kate Turvy and No. 67 Brittany Wowchuk in singles. They feature the No. 25-ranked tandem of Linda Abu Mushrefova and Nida Hamilton and the No. 90-ranked duo of Mushrefova again and Veronica Corning.The Hoosiers are currently riding a streak of their own — a three-game losing streak. Vertesheva said she will tell her team not to dwell on last weekend’s losses, underscored by a loss against Wisconsin, who is just 2-7 in the conference.“We don’t have to lose our confidence after these couple losses because at this point all Big Ten teams are pretty good and on any given day a team can beat another one, and we just have to stay positive,” Vertesheva said.
(04/17/12 3:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“It was just one of those weekends where if something could go wrong, it did,” IU Coach Lin Loring said.Indiana suffered two crippling losses this weekend, with the Hoosiers being outscored by a total of 12-2 against two teams that were below them in the Big Ten standings before the weekend.Loring said the Hoosiers had hoped to play both matches outdoors but that inclement weather prohibited doing so.“These were both really good indoor teams that we wanted to play outdoors,” Loring said. “But for both of these matches, we had to play indoors, so that was a bad thing because I think we’re definitely a better outdoors team.”The No. 47 Hoosiers began the weekend by squaring off against No. 31 Minnesota. The Gophers blanked IU, winning 7-0.The No. 45 ranked tandem of Natallia Pintusava and Magdalena Wiecha bested Indiana’s duo of sophomore Sophie Garre and freshman Katie Klyczek 8-4.Junior Leslie Hureau and freshman Shannon Murdy then responded by taking their match 8-6, but with the doubles point up for grabs, a tightly contested match went Minnesota’s way as senior Evgeniya Vertesheva and sophomore Kayla Fujimoto fell 9-7.Minnesota proceeded to defeat IU in the singles matches, winning every match but one in straight sets.Klyczek was the first Hoosier to fall, losing 6-2, 6-2 in the three slot. Fujimoto followed by falling 6-4, 6-4.When freshman Alecia Kauss lost her first singles match since March 25 by the score of 6-3, 6-3, it marked the loss for Indiana.Murdy then lost 6-0, 7-6 and No. 124 Alexa Palen took out Vertesheva 6-2, 6-4. The lone Hoosier to push a match to three sets was No. 65 Hureau at the one position, in which she was defeated 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.This was the first time this season that IU failed to score at least a single team point.“I thought we competed really hard against Minnesota,” Loring said. “They have very, very fast indoor courts, and we came back in a lot of second sets and made matches out of them, but their style of play was really tough for us on the fast-paced courts.”After a disappointing day in Minneapolis, the Hoosiers tried to pick up a win against Big Ten cellar-dweller Wisconsin, but they fell 5-2.In doubles, Garre and Klyczek fell 8-5, while Vertesheva and Fujimoto were victorious 8-6. Hureau and Murdy lost the match and secured the point for the home team, losing 8-6.In singles action, the Hoosiers picked up two quick victories, with Vertesheva and Murdy winning their matches 6-2, 6-1 and 6-2, 6-4, respectively.Those were the last points IU would be awarded the rest of the day. After Fujimoto lost 7-5, 6-4, the remaining three matches would all go down to three sets and Badger wins.Hureau lost her three-set battle 6-4, 1-6, 6-2, and then Klyczek lost her match 6-0, 4-6, 6-3. The Wisconsin win cemented the third-straight loss for IU.Kauss lost 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the final match of the weekend.“Wisconsin’s a match we should have won,” Loring said. “We lost three three-setters and should have won the doubles point, but like I said, if something could go wrong, it did.”
(04/13/12 3:36am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For the first time this Big Ten season, the No. 47 Hoosiers will be favored to win both matches in a weekend.Indiana, 15-6 (4-3), heads northward and into the central time zone to play Minnesota and Wisconsin, two teams that are unranked and below the Hoosiers in the Big Ten standings.This will be the first time that the team will go on the road after a four game home stand, which freshman Alecia Kauss said is different from playing in the comfort of home.“Here it’s a home court advantage with the fans that come,” Kauss said. “But I think we can bring the same level of intensity. We’ve shown that when we’ve been on the road in past weekends.”At 4:30 p.m. Friday, the Hoosiers will play the Golden Gophers. Minnesota, who is 13-5 (3-4) on the season, has been struggling mightily as of late.After rocketing to a 12-1 start to the season, the Gophers have proceeded to lose four of their past five matches. Most recently, they lost a heartbreaker to Ohio State 4-3 in which five of the six singles matches had to go to three sets.Oddly enough, Minnesota has stumbled at home, as well. Not winning a home match in more than a month, the last time the Gophers were victorious in Minnesota was February 26.After battling some gophers, IU will hop on the bus to face off against a group of badgers at noon Sunday.Wisconsin 10-9 (1-6) shares the cellar of the Big Ten with Iowa and Michigan State, two teams that IU has already beaten this season.Similar to Minnesota, the Badgers are in the midst of a skid, having lost five of their past six matches. They will also be looking for their first home conference win of the season.Wisconsin’s lone Big Ten victory came against Michigan State, who is 0-7 in the conference.IU will be flying out to Minnesota, which Kauss explained can be tiresome.“Sometimes you’re a little tired after a flight,” Kauss said. “But every time we fly, we don’t play till the next day, and we get to practice the morning of the match.”Kauss has been a big part of the team’s recent success, as she has gone 4-0 in her past four singles matches, including her first victory against a nationally ranked opponent in No. 121 Sam Critser of Michigan.“I think I’m coming into my own,” Kauss said. “I feel like my rhythm has become a lot better.”After a bit of a slump in which she did not feel like she was playing to her full potential, Kauss has gotten her swing more on track, and the results have reflected this improvement.“I’m just getting my strokes grooved better,” Kauss said. “I wouldn’t say I was struggling, but I didn’t feel like I was playing the best I could, and this past weekend I really felt I was finally hitting like I can and driving through it. I’m playing how I know I can play.”
(04/09/12 1:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For the second straight weekend, No. 45 Indiana split two matches against ranked competition at home.The Hoosiers started the weekend taking on No. 72 Iowa. IU denied Iowa its first road win of the season, as it defeated the Hawkeyes 6-1.Junior Leslie Hureau and freshman Shannon Murdy took the opening match of doubles play when they rolled against an Iowa tandem 8-1.To secure the doubles point, senior Evgeniya Vertesheva and sophomore Kayla Fujimoto were victorious in their match 8-4.After a long battle in the one slot, sophomore Sophie Garre and freshman Katie Klyczek fell short to a Hawkeye pair 8-6.The Hoosiers dominated the singles action, winning five of the six matches. Freshmen Carolyn Chupa and Klyczek started in impressive fashion, giving up just three games between the two of them.After losing the first two games of the match, Chupa went on a tirade, not losing another game for the 6-2, 6-0 final. Klyczek easily disposed of her Iowa opponent, winning 6-1, 6-0.Murdy saw her first singles action of the Big Ten season, and she capitalized on the opportunity by winning 6-1, 6-4. The singles win secured the fourth team point and another win against a ranked foe for IU.IU Coach Lin Loring said she was happy for and proud of Murdy.“She did a really good job,” Loring said. “She’s been playing well in practice, and her shoulder is finally healthy. We’re very even in our last four or five positions.”Fellow freshman Alecia Kauss took care of her opponent 6-3, 6-1.Hureau, the reigning Big Ten player of the week, defeated another ranked foe by taking down No. 115 Sonja Molnar 6-1, 7-5.Loring said Hureau had had trouble with Molnar in the past, dropping both of her matches against her in previous years.“Leslie has never won a set off that girl,” Loring said. “Their No. 1 player has always been one of the top two or three in the Big Ten, and she’s never won more than three games in any set against her, so that’s a great win for Leslie.”IU turned around Sunday squaring off against No. 17 Nebraska in blustery conditions. The Huskers took the match 5-2.Nebraska took the opening match of doubles play, dominating Vertesheva and Fujimoto for the 8-0 win, and then secured the doubles point with an 8-5 win against Hureau and Murdy.The No. 1 slot had a Hoosier victory as Garre and Klyczek took the close match 8-6.In singles, No. 40 Mary Weatherholt proved to be too much for Hureau, as Hureau lost for the first time since Feb. 24.After losing the first set in a tiebreak 7-6, Chupa put up little resistance when she lost her second set 6-0.Vertesheva fell to No. 117 Patricia Veresova in straight sets 6-2, 6-1, and Klyczek also lost her match 6-3, 6-3.The Hoosiers saw victories in the five and six slots, with Kauss winning 6-1, 6-1 and Fujimoto downing her Husker foe 7-6, 6-2.Loring said she felt as though Nebraska was able to adapt to the weather better than the Hoosiers.“Early on, when it was windy, I thought they handled the wind real well,” Loring said. “They’re a little stronger than we are, and they hit the ball a little harder, so they dealt with the wind better than we did.”
(04/06/12 2:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The No. 45 Hoosiers welcome two more ranked Big Ten schools to Bloomington this weekend. On Saturday, the team will face off against No. 72 Iowa, and Sunday the cream and crimson will do battle with No. 17 Nebraska. Both matches start at 11 a.m. at the IU Tennis Center.The Hawkeyes (7-9, 1-4) jumped into the rankings this week after beating Penn State and narrowly losing to Ohio State this past weekend.Iowa has been struggling as of late, going just 2-6 in its past eight matches. The black and gold also look to amend their road woes, as they are 1-6 in away matches.No. 115 Sonja Molnar is Iowa’s lone ranked singles player, and Iowa has no ranked doubles tandems.IU will face its second top-20 team in three matches when it welcomes the Big Ten’s newest member, Nebraska. The Cornhuskers (18-2, 4-1) boast the Big Ten’s best winning percentage and rank only behind undefeated Michigan in the Big Ten standings.Nebraska has three ranked singles players in No. 40 Mary Weatherholt, No. 109 Janine Weinreich and No. 117 Patricia Veresova. They also feature the No. 40 doubles duo of Madeleine Geibert and Stefanie Weinstein.Most likely squaring off against Weatherholt will be junior Leslie Hureau. Hureau, the newly appointed Big Ten Player of the Week, will try to knock off her third player ranked in the top 60 in Big Ten play.The recent success can be accounted for in part by the addition of Hureau’s new doubles partner, freshman Shannon Murdy, into the doubles lineup.Murdy has gone 3-0 in her past four matches, as she and Hureau were up 6-5 on a Michigan tandem when the match was called early.Murdy was understandably excited when IU Coach Lin Loring gave her the nod.“I was really excited because I was glad I was finally able to contribute our team winning matches,” Murdy said. “And I was also a little bit nervous because I hoped I could do well so Coach would keep me in the lineup.”The Kelley School of Business was a key reason why Murdy elected to spend her collegiate days in Bloomington.“The business school is top 10 in the country here,” Murdy said. “And I knew I wanted to major in accounting, so that was a deciding factor. Also, I love the coaches and the team here, so it just seemed like the overall perfect fit for me.”Murdy, a Georgia native, said she appreciates the cooler weather and the chance to play indoors for a change. “I like the weather here a lot more than Georgia,” Murdy said. “Georgia at this time is really hot, and I like playing indoors, too. I never really got to play indoors that much because Atlanta doesn’t really have any indoor courts.” Ironically, it was here in Indiana that Murdy started to grow a passion for peaches, and now she looks forward to going home and enjoying the fresh fruit of her state.“When I go back for the summer, I’m definitely going to eat some more Georgia peaches,” Murdy said with a chuckle.
(04/04/12 2:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Junior Leslie Hureau’s recent success has not gone unnoticed.Hureau was named Big Ten Player of the Week by the conference Tuesday, marking the first time a Hoosier has won the honor this season.The French native received the award after going 2-0 in singles this past weekend against Olga Chernova of Michigan State and Emina Betkas of Michigan.Since Hureau lost to No. 39 Shannon Matthews of Notre Dame on Feb. 24, she has gone on a tear and not lost a single match.The No. 99-ranked Hureau is riding a seven-match win streak. During which she has taken down No. 55 Petra Januskova of Penn State.She also upset No. 10 Betkas of Michigan this past Sunday. During Hureau’s winning streak, she has won 14 of the 17 sets played. Hureau finished March like a lion, as she went undefeated the entire month. She has not lost a singles match in 40 days and counting. She is also undefeated in Big Ten play this season, going a perfect 5-0.Hureau is anchoring the No. 1 spot for the cream and crimson this year.Hureau has gone 13-3 in singles matches for the team potion of the schedule. All of her losses are to players ranked in the top 40 nationally. Hureau hopes to spend Easter weekend increasing her win streak to nine, as the Hoosiers will welcome Iowa on Saturday and Nebraska on Sunday to the IU Tennis Center. Both matches commence at 11 a.m.
(04/03/12 1:42am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Junior Leslie Hureau and sophomore Sophie Garre are like most American college students.They go to class, have fun and take part in extracurricular activities. They are both on the IU women’s tennis team and are proud to play for the cream and crimson.What makes them different is not their outstanding work ethic on and off the court, their tight friendship or that they live together.When they go home after a hard day’s practice or when they do not want a teammate to hear what they have to say, they speak French to each other.“We speak French sometimes when we’re on the bus when we don’t want the other person to hear what we are saying,” Hureau said with a chuckle.Both Hureau and Garre were born and raised in France and chose to come to IU to play tennis. However, they come from very different parts of the country.“I live near the sea, and she lives in the mountains,” Garre said. “So it’s completely different, but we both have the same culture. No matter where you live in France, you are going to have very similar cultures.”The duo had to get used to differences between French and American cultures, such as the people, Garre said.“The people welcome you and are kind to you,” Garre said. “In France, there are a lot of times when people are in a bad mood, and they don’t say hello, so I feel welcome here.”The people might be friendly in the Midwest, but the food is not so friendly to one’s health, which Hureau said took some getting used to.“We both still struggle with food,” Hureau said. “The portions are huge, and you eat so much. That’s something really different from France.”As far as sports go, they both said they feel as though they are beginning to like American sports more and more.“We don’t have football in France, and basketball is not that popular,” Garre said. “So it was really nice to learn about the other sports, and I appreciate the variety America has.”Searching to fill the void in her heart that soccer provided for Hureau in France, she said basketball has more than made up for it.“I’m a big soccer fan,” Hureau said. “I have a team that I really like, and I used to go to the stadium and cheer for them and thought that was the coolest thing in the world. But now that I watch basketball and go to Assembly Hall, that’s a lot more fun than soccer in France.”Their common perspectives on matters such as food are what first brought them together, but since then, their relationship has evolved into something deeper than a lack of appetite for American cuisine.“I think that at the beginning, it helped a little bit because, ‘Oh, she’s French, we can speak French,’” Hureau said. “But she’s a great person, and I would be friends with her if she was from China or Argentina or wherever else in the world.”Garre echoed Hureau’s words.“In France, you don’t get along with everyone,” Garre said. “But with Leslie, we got along really quick, and I feel lucky to have her here.”They both said they agreed that they wanted to live together very early on last year, around October, when Garre was still living in the dorms.“I knew before coming that she was from France, so it helped the transition a bit,” Garre said. “Last year, I was living in the dorms, and she had an apartment and we spent a lot of time together, so that’s why we decided to live together.”Both Hureau and Garre have to make the decision of whether they want to go back to France after college.“Right now, I don’t know,” Hureau said. “It’s like the big question. I think I’ll go back to France, but it’s a tough decision because at the beginning, I wanted to go home right away, but now I’ve met so many great people here, so it’s pretty tough.”Garre, on the other hand, seems to have more of a desire to stay in the Western Hemisphere.“I don’t mind staying in the U.S. after graduating,” Garre said. “If I found a great job here, I would stay here, but I also wouldn’t mind going back to France.”They said it will be tough when Hureau graduates and moves away but no matter where they live, they will always stay friends. “It’s going to be tough in a year when Leslie is going to graduate,” Garre said. “I’m always with Leslie, so it’s going to be hard not to see her anymore. But we’ll try to go on trips together and stay in touch.”
(04/02/12 1:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU split matches against Michigan schools this weekend, beating Michigan State 6-1 and losing in a heartbreaker to No. 14 Michigan, 4-3.Action started Saturday when Michigan State came to Bloomington to duel with IU.The doubles tandem of sophomore Sophie Garre and freshman Katie Klyczek opened up play with a 8-4 win. Then, just seconds later, senior Evgeniya Vertesheva and sophomore Kayla Fujimoto also won 8-4 to capture the doubles point.Freshmen Alecia Kauss and Shannon Murdy won their match 8-3 to secure the doubles sweep.For the doubles matches, the temperature was hovering at about 50 degrees, creating brisk playing conditions, which IU Coach Lin Loring said slowed down the game.“You have to be a little more patient outdoors,” Loring said. “We are going to play in a lot colder and worse weather than that, so you just have to be willing to hit more balls.”In singles, Vertesheva made quick work of her match by drubbing her opponent 6-0, 6-0. Hureau shortly followed suit, capturing the victory 6-1, 6-3.Kauss secured the fourth team point and the Hoosiers’ third consecutive Big Ten win by downing her opponent 6-3, 6-2.Freshman Carolyn Chupa gave up just three games by rolling against her foe 6-2, 6-1. In the lone loss of the day for IU, Fujimoto fell in a third set tiebreaker 6-4, 2-6, 1-0 (10-8).Klyczek capped off the Hoosiers’ dominant performance by taking the deciding second set en route to her 6-4, 7-5 victory.For the duration of the match, Klyczek’s opponent served underhand due to a shoulder surgery the Spartan had had, Loring said. The odd style had to take some getting used to, but ultimately, Klyczek prevailed.“It was difficult because she was a lefty hitting it, too,” Klyczek said. “And you have to be careful not to over-hit it because it is really easy to. It took a little bit to get used to.”The Hoosiers attempted to extend their winning streak when they played Big Ten leader Michigan, but the maize and blue took the nail biter 4-3.The Wolverines captured the doubles point by taking two of the three matches. Garre and Klyczek lost in the one slot 8-1. Vertesheva and Fujimoto then fell in the two slot 8-4.Hureau and Murdy were up in their match 6-5 when the match was called early because the doubles point was already determined.The singles action was tightly contested throughout the day. At one point in the first set, all six Hoosiers led their respective matches.Chupa fell to No. 114 Mimi Nguyen 6-2, 6-2. After losing a closely contested first set in which she had multiple set points, Klyczek fell 7-5 and then lost the second set 6-2. Fujimoto fell in a three set battle 0-6, 6-4, 6-3 to secure the win for Michigan.Vertesheva defeated No. 65 Brooke Bolender 7-5, 6-2. The victory was another notch in the win column for Vertesheva after she went through a slump in the middle of the season.“Geniya is finally back,” Loring said. “She’s had three great matches in a row now.”The Hoosiers added another win against ranked competition when Kauss took down No. 121 Sam Critser in straight sets 7-6, 6-1.No. 99 Hureau extended her singles winning streak to seven by prevailing in an upset against No. 10 Emina Bektas. Hureau took the match in three sets 6-2, 4-6, 6-1.“We put ourselves in position to win and just couldn’t close the deal,” Loring said. “We were there. We were right on the verge of beating them, and that’s what makes it so disappointing.”Loring said he is optimistic about the team’s chances as IU starts the home stretch of Big Ten play.“I just told them after the match I want them to bring this level of play the rest of the year,” Loring said. “We have four more nationally ranked opponents ahead of us, and if we bring this same level, we’re going to knock a couple of those teams off.”
(03/30/12 3:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Visitors from the Great Lake State will invade Bloomington as the Hoosiers kick off a four-game home stand against Michigan State and Michigan this weekend.IU is coming off two victories against nationally ranked competition this past weekend, and the polls reflected that as the Hoosiers jumped 16 slots to No. 41 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s rankings this week. After downing the No. 55 player in the nation this past week, junior Leslie Hureau makes her first appearance in the national singles polls, debuting at No. 99. The team’s record stands at 13-4 (2-1) on the season, and the players look to continue their winning ways when they play unranked Michigan State at 11 a.m. Saturday. The 8-6 (0-3) Spartans will be looking for their first win in the Big Ten and their first win away from East Lansing, Mich., as Michigan State is 0-2 on the road this season. Michigan State is one of three teams in the Big Ten without a conference win.The green and white come limping into the match having lost four of their past five matches. Michigan State doesn’t boast any nationally ranked singles players or doubles tandems.Despite Michigan State’s recent losses and a big match against Michigan the next day, the Hoosier women are not looking past them.“We play Michigan State first on Saturday, so we are going to first focus on this match because that’s going to be a tough match,” Hureau said. “It’s Big Ten, so it’s going to be tough competition.”On Sunday, the Hoosiers welcome Michigan to Bloomington. The match commences at 11 a.m. The 10-5 (3-0) Wolverines sit atop the Big Ten standings as they are the only undefeated team this season. Michigan also has the highest national ranking from the conference at No. 14.The maize and blue have had a schedule chock-full of nationally ranked competition. The team’s most notable wins came against No. 15 Clemson, No. 17 Notre Dame and No. 18 Vanderbilt. The Hoosiers also squared off against Notre Dame this season, falling 6-1 to the Irish.Michigan boasts four nationally ranked players in No. 10 Emina Bektas, No. 65 Brooke Bolender, No. 114 Mimi Nguyen and No. 121 Sam Critser. Bektas and Bolender also combine to make the No. 7 ranked doubles tandem in the country. The five freshmen on the team will have a bit more experience facing the Wolverines than the upperclassmen, Hureau said.“The last two years I played a girl who was a senior last year, so she has graduated,” Hureau said. “Besides that we know some of the players, I think the freshmen will know the No. 1 better because she is a freshman.”A key to IU’s success will be the team unity it has displayed throughout the season and especially in the last match against Ohio State, which was won by a close margin.“We were a lot louder than Ohio State even though we were playing at their place last week,” Hureau said. “So I think the team chemistry plays a difference in the end.”
(03/26/12 2:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The No. 57 Hoosiers picked up two key wins on the road this weekend, improving their overall record to 13-4 (2-1). These wins were also the first conference victories of the season for the team.The action commenced Friday when the Hoosiers traveled to State College, Pa., beating No. 46 Penn State 6-1 in IU’s first outdoor match of the season.Wasting no time, the Hoosiers jumped early on the Nittany Lions, sweeping all three of the doubles matches to take the first point of the day.Sophomore Kayla Fujimoto and senior Evgeniya Vertesheva got things started by rolling to an 8-3 victory against their opponent.Securing the doubles point, freshman Shannon Murdy and junior Leslie Hureau took their match 8-4. Freshman Katie Klyczek and sophomore Sophie Garre continued the doubles dominance with a 8-6 win in the No. 1 slot.“We swept the doubles, something we haven’t done against a good team this season,” IU Coach Lin Loring said.The Hoosiers’ good play continued in singles, losing only one of the six matches.The three freshmen all stepped up and took out their opponents in straight sets.Freshmen Carolyn Chupa and Alecia Kauss started things off by beating their opponents 6-3, 6-3 and 6-3, 6-2, respectively. Fellow rookie Klyczek sealed up the Hoosiers first Big Ten win of the season by defeating her opponent 6-2, 7-5.After dropping the first set, Fujimoto came storming back to take the next two sets for the cream and crimson victory 1-6, 6-1, 6-2. The lone loss of the day came when Vertesheva fell short in the decisive third set. In a battle against No. 55 Petra Januskova, Hureau squeaked out the victory in the tiebreaker 7-6, 4-6, 1-0 (11-9).“This was a good conference road win for us,” Loring said. “They are ranked ahead of us, and we need road wins against ranked teams if we are going to get into the NCAA Tournament.”The Hoosiers continued their weekend play Sunday by beating No. 66 Ohio State 4-3. The match originally started outdoors but was moved to the indoor arena during singles play because of rain.Starting off the doubles action, Murdy and Hureau vanquished their opponent, giving up one game in the 8-1 victory.In the one slot, Klyczek and Garre secured the doubles point for the team with an 8-3 win. The two slot saw Fujimoto and Vertesheva fall in a tight match, 8-6.The Buckeyes took the first singles match, when Klyczek won only two games in her 6-0, 6-2 defeat. Fujimoto responded with a straight set victory of her own, earning the Hoosiers second point of the day in a 6-3, 6-2 triumph.Ohio State took the next match by beating Kauss in straight sets 6-4, 6-2. IU responded yet again when Hureau followed up by winning 6-3, 6-3 in the one slot.After winning a closely contested first set 7-6, Vertesheva rolled in the second set 6-2 to secure the win for her and the team.Chupa fell in the final match of the weekend in three sets 6-4, 4-6, 6-0. With two solid wins, the Hoosiers improve their record against ranked competition to 3-4. IU will look to extend its winning streak against Michigan and Michigan State next weekend.
(03/23/12 2:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After a two-week hiatus from match play, the No. 57 Hoosiers return to the hard court with fresh Floridian tans and an eager attitude to square off against Penn State and Ohio State this weekend.This will be the first time the Hoosiers take the court in 14 days after taking their annual team spring break trip to the Sunshine State, where the vacation is not the generic spring break experience.“I guess it’s not your average college spring break like what most people do,” freshman Katie Klyczek said. “We’re all together at the hotels, so it’s a glimpse of the typical break, but yeah, it’s fun.”The women were able to relax from the grueling schedule and have a week filled with surf, sun and several hours of tennis.“We train and practice almost every day for a few hours with the team,” Klyczek said. “And then, usually, we will go to lunch and for the rest of the day either go to the beach or go to the pool.”Back in Bloomington and refocused for the stretch run against Big Ten play, the Hoosiers look to bounce back after they lost their previous match to arch-rival Purdue on March 9. This was a loss the team took in good stride, Klyczek said.“Everyone took it pretty well because it was our first Big Ten match,” Klyczek said. “I don’t think it discouraged us at all, we’re that much more determined to do better in the Big Ten after having that loss.”On Friday, the team will try and rebound when it travels to State College, Pa., to try and tame the No. 46 Nittany Lions.After losing their first two matches of the season to nationally-ranked competition Hawaii and Baylor, Penn State has regrouped to win nine of its past 10 matches, boasting a record of 9-3.Penn State features the No. 55 player in the nation, Petra Januskova, who is likely to play against junior Leslie Hureau in the one slot. Sunday, the Hoosiers will finish the weekend by taking a bus ride to Columbus, Ohio, to try and crack the Buckeyes.Ohio State comes limping into the match against the Hoosiers in the midst of a four-game losing streak.By the time the two squads play Sunday, Ohio State’s skid could increase to five, as it faces off against formidable opponent No. 27 Purdue.Overall, the Buckeyes are 5-9, the worst record in the Big Ten. The scarlet and gray are the only Big Ten squad to have a record under .500.For the two weekend matches, the projected No. 1 doubles tandem for the Hoosiers is Klyczek and sophomore Sophie Garre.Garre took over the spot as Klyczek’s partner from freshman Carolyn Chupa earlier this season. Even though Klyczek and Chupa are great friends, the change has not been taken personally by anyone.“Everything is good, we do what is best for the team,” Klyczek said. “And what coach thinks is best is probably best anyway. Sophie’s great, Carolyn’s great, so we’re all good.”
(03/09/12 3:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Precious points in the Crimson and Gold cup will be awarded as the focus of the instate rivalry turns to the hard court of women’s tennis.The Hoosiers rose in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s rankings this week, vaulting up 25 spots and are now No. 41 in the country.The Hoosiers will begin Big Ten play this Friday as they welcome No. 68 Purdue to the IU Tennis Center.This contest will be the fifth time the Hoosiers square off against ranked opposition. They are 1-3 against nationally ranked foes this year, with their lone win coming against DePaul. Overall, the team has been outscored 20-8 in those four matches.The Hoosiers’ record stands at 11-3, and for the duration of the season they will face Big Ten opponents.The team from West Lafayette boasts a record of 6-1 with wins against No. 46 Kansas State and No. 71 Kentucky, and most recently they trampled the Thundering Herd of No. 66 Marshall 7-0.A 4-2 defeat versus No. 14 Clemson represents the only loss in an otherwise flawless record.The Boilermakers’ lone nationally ranked singles player is Lynda Xepoleas, who is ranked No. 124 in the country. The Hoosiers remain without any nationally ranked representatives in singles or doubles.The teams shared two common opponents so far this season in Kentucky and Western Michigan. Purdue tamed the Wildcats 6-1 while the Hoosiers bested Big Blue 5-2 earlier this year. The two Indiana teams had little trouble with the Broncos, both winning 7-0.Sophomore Sophie Garre and freshman Katie Klyczek have made a formidable doubles tandem lately. Garre relieved freshman Carolyn Chupa earlier this year as Klyczek’s playing partner, and she said she is very grateful for the opportunity.“I was really, really happy to play doubles, especially in the one spot,” Garre said. “It is a great opportunity for me. I was playing well at practice so Coach gave me this opportunity.”Doubles is a two-person job, and Garre was quick to give her partner praise.“I also want to give a lot of praise to Katie because she’s a great doubles player,” Garre said. “And we just seem like a good combo together.”Taking another player’s spot on the team can sometimes be an awkward situation, but Garre said with this kind of team chemistry, bad blood does not exist between her and Chupa.“Sometimes I feel bad, but we’re not mad at each other,” Garre said. “It’s not difficult to talk about this, but Coach gave me this opportunity so I’m like, ‘OK why not?’ I’m just going to try and do my best, and if I can still play in doubles that would be great.”With the nonconference portion of the schedule done and Big Ten play starting up this Friday, Garre likes the team’s chances despite its extreme youth.“Even though we have a lot of new freshmen, they are all great,” Garre said. “I think we have a much better team than last year.”
(03/06/12 2:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The No. 66 Hoosiers polished off their nonconference portion of the schedule Sunday with wins against the Marquette Golden Eagles and the Cleveland State Vikings.The matches took place in Bloomington, where the Hoosiers have lost only one match this season.Action started as the Golden Eagles flew into the IU Tennis Center at 11 a.m. The Hoosiers defeated the Big East foe by the score of 6-1 and collected their 10th team win of the season in the process.IU took all three of the doubles matches and never looked back.The tandem of freshman Katie Klyczek and sophomore Sophie Garre began by winning the No. 1 slot 8-4.At the two slot, senior Evgeniya Vertesheva and sophomore Kayla Fujimoto grounded the Eagle pair 8-1.Junior Leslie Hureau and freshman Alecia Kauss continued the winning vibe, closing out doubles play with an 8-3 victory.The singles play mimicked the doubles matches in terms of cream and crimson dominance.Hureau took the No. 1 singles match, winning 6-1, 6-3.In the Hoosiers’ lone loss of the match, Klyczek was defeated in straight sets 6-4, 6-2 by Olga Fischer in the No. 2 slot.After taking a closely contested first set 7-5, freshman Carolyn Chupa didn’t give up a game in the second set, winning 6-0.Kauss and Garre were victorious in straight sets in the No. 4 and 6 slot, respectively, 6-3, 6-3.Fujimoto anchored the team in the No. 5 slot, taking the match 7-5, 6-2.With the singles win, Fujimoto remained undefeated in the team portion of the schedule, improving her overall singles record to 11-0.In the evening cap of the doubleheader, the Hoosiers welcomed the Cleveland State Vikings from the Horizon League to the IU Tennis Center. The Hoosiers defeated the Vikings by the count of 6-1.The doubles action started with a drudging at the hands of Kauss and Hureau when they took the match without losing a single game, 8-0.The Hoosiers took the doubles point when the duo of Vertesheva and Fujimoto defeated their opponents 8-3.The No. 1 doubles pair of Garre and Klyczek fought off a pesky Viking pair to sweep the doubles play, winning 8-6.In singles action, Hureau took care of her opponent, dropping only two games to win 6-0, 6-2.In the No. 2 slot, Klyczek lost only one game in the 6-1, 6-0 rout.When Kauss vanquished her opponent 6-0, 6-2, the win secured the fourth team point of the day and improved the Hoosiers’ record to 11-3 on the season.Garre took care of her opponent 6-3, 6-0 while Chupa won in a tiebreaker 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8). The lone loss of the match came when sophomore Diana Kyllmann was defeated 6-4, 6-4.“Although we had a few mental lapses today, I thought our doubles play showed improvement,” IU Coach Lin Loring said. “We still have a lot of things to work on, but overall, we are getting better.”
(03/06/12 1:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With the increased importance of sabermetrics in sports, statistical analysis is becoming more important to understanding the opponent not just from a typical scouting standpoint, but from a numbers perspective, as well.The annual MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference is a look at how statistics are changing the face of sports. Because the conference was this past weekend, algebraic formulas and complex solutions are all abuzz in the world of sports.Baseball has taken the first step in using sabermetrics to evaluate potential success, most notably with the release of “Moneyball” last year.However, the spread of numerical analytics has reached other sports, as well. In an attempt to figure out the quality of the IU women’s tennis team, one can look at statistics other than the overall record of 11-3.The player with the highest winning percentage for the Hoosiers this year is sophomore Kayla Fujimoto. Fujimoto is a perfect 11-0 in singles matches, including a flawless 4-0 record against nationally-ranked teams. Of the four nationally-ranked teams IU has played, the Hoosiers have amassed a total of eight total team points. Fujimoto alone has accounted for 50 percent of those wins.Of the six players who usually play singles for the Hoosiers, Fujimoto has the highest winning percentage at 100 percent.Next is junior Leslie Hureau at 73 percent and then freshmen Katie Klyczek and Carolyn Chupa, both with a winning percentage of 64 percent.Freshman Alecia Kauss has the next highest winning percentage at 62 percent.Lone senior Evgeniya Vertesheva is the only player to have a winning percentage below .500, at 42 percent.The average winning percentage of the six major players together is 68 percent.However, the team’s record stands at 11-3, good for a 79-percent winning percentage and an 11-percent increase from that 68-percent winning percentage.What accounts for the disparity between the two percentages?IU has played four nationally-ranked opponents so far this season, going 1-3 against them.In those matches, the Hoosiers have been outscored by a total of 8-20 in team points, which amounts to the team winning merely 29 percent of the total team points in those matches.Taking those four matches out of the equation, the team’s record stands at a perfect 10-0.Against unranked opponents, the Hoosiers have outscored their opposition 62-8 in overall team points. They have won 89 percent of the total team points in those 10 matches.Overall, the team has won 70 of the total 98 team points on the season, meaning they have won 71 percent of the total team points compared to the 68-percent winning percentage in singles matches by the individual team members.The discrepancies between the two numbers can be explained by statistical anomalies — for instance, these six women have not played every one of the singles matches for the season.Also, the singles action is not the only determinative of the final score, as the doubles point makes up one of the seven total team points available.Drawing back upon ranking the six major players by the winning percentage of matches they have played, there are a number of factors to take into account.Fujimoto has played primarily in the No. 6 slot this year, so she has played lesser competition than Vertesheva, mainly in the No. 2 slot, has played.Therefore, a breakdown of the total number of individual games they have won and lost can account for the difference in competition that each of the women has faced. For example, if player A wins a match 6-4, 6-2, player A would have gone 12-6 in individual games played, winning 67 percent of the games played in the match.The standings are virtually the same when ranking the Hoosiers this way as when ranking them by match winning percentage.However, the difference between matches win/loss percentage and individual games played for some women is different.The following data is the winning percentage for individual games played with the change from the win/loss winning percentage of matches in parentheses.
(03/02/12 3:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This Sunday, the Hoosiers look to improve upon their 9-3 record. The team will square off against Marquette at 11 a.m. and then take on Cleveland State to cap off the doubleheader at 4 p.m.These matches will conclude the nonconference portion of the schedule as the team begins Big Ten play against Purdue next weekend.The Golden Eagles are 7-2 this season with two losses against Wisconsin and Western Michigan.The Hoosiers defeated Western Michigan earlier this year 7-0.Marquette played Ball State earlier this year, winning 5-2. The Hoosiers also defeated the Cardinals this season 7-0. IU is familiar with some of the Golden Eagle players, as they have played in two tournaments with Marquette this year, the IU Invitational and the Kansas Tournament.Seven Hoosiers who played in last weekend’s matches, and they went a combined 10-4 for all singles and doubles matches against Marquette earlier this season.Later in the day, the Hoosiers will square off against Cleveland State, starting at 4 p.m.The Vikings are 6-4 so far this season. Cleveland State and IU share three opponents so far this year. Against Ball State, DePaul and Xavier, the Vikings were outscored 12-9 in team points. The Hoosiers outscored those opponents by 18-3 in team points.As the Hoosiers look to put double digits in the win column for the year, they will continue to rely on junior Leslie Hureau, who has taken the role of the No. 1 player in singles for most of the season.Coming off a year in which she was the first player from IU named an All-American in 19 years, Hureau said she is used to playing against stiff competition.“I think I’ve played pretty well,” Hureau said. “I’ve won the matches I had to win against teams that weren’t that great, but now I really need to play better against the really good teams.”With a team comprised of five freshmen, her role had to change from the previous year. Hureau and senior Evgeniya Vertesheva are the only upperclassmen on the young team.“I feel like I need to bring a lot of energy because the freshmen are not used to college tennis,” Hureau said. “So you’re not used to cheering for everyone and being loud. I need to play well and show a good example.”Hureau’s partner for the team portion of the schedule has been freshman Alecia Kauss. Their chemistry off the court contributes to their success when the lights are on.“She’s just really calm,” Hureau said of Kauss. “Even when I do something really stupid, she’s just always saying, ‘Oh it’s all right, it’s all right,’ even though I know it was really stupid.“We’re getting used to playing together because we didn’t really play together in the fall. So now we’ve already played like ten matches, and I think we’re improving.”
(02/27/12 3:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This past weekend, the No. 74 Hoosiers took on No. 23 Notre Dame and Kentucky.The action started Friday when IU went to South Bend to take on the Fighting Irish. The Irish overwhelmed the Hoosiers and took the match 6-1. Senior Evgeniya Vertesheva and sophomore Kayla Fujimoto were shut out 8-0 in the first doubles match.The Irish secured the doubles point with an 8-5 win against sophomore Sophie Garre and freshman Katie Klyczek. The No. 3 doubles duo in the nation, Kristy Frilling and Shannon Mathews, defeated the Hoosier tandem.Klyczek and freshman Carolyn Chupa had been doubles partners for most of the season until this match.“Sophie’s been playing really well in practice,” IU Coach Lin Loring said. “Carolyn has not been playing well in practice in doubles, and she’s had some injury problems, so we figured, why not give Sophie a chance?” During the final doubles match of the day, junior Leslie Hureau and freshman Alecia Kauss lost 8-6.The Irish dominance against the Hoosiers was similar when the singles started. IU was winless in the 1-5 spots as Hureau, Vertesheva, Klyczek, Kauss and Chupa were all defeated by the blue and gold.The lone singles victory came from the No. 6 slot, as Fujimoto defeated her opponent after losing the first set 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-3).Fujimoto is now 4-0 in singles against nationally ranked opponents.Despite the lopsided score, Loring was proud of his team’s progress in the singles matches.“Today was one of our better singles matches, top-to-bottom,” Loring said. “We had chances on every court. Hopefully, we can keep playing at this level.”On Sunday, the Hoosiers looked to avenge their third loss this season against Notre Dame by taking on Kentucky.They defeated the Wildcats 5-2.The Hoosiers took the doubles point to open the match. Vertesheva and Fujimoto rebounded from their loss at the hands of the Irish by winning 8-3 to set the tone for the rest of the day.Hureau and Kauss shared a celebratory high-five as they secured the doubles point for the Hoosiers, defeating their opponents 8-6.In the last doubles match, Klyczek and Garre lost in a back-and-forth match 8-7 (7-4). The match had no outcome on the final score of the contest, as the Hoosiers had already taken two of the three doubles matches.Hureau took the win in the No. 1 slot 6-3, 6-3. Fujimoto followed by vanquishing her opponent 6-2, 6-2.Klyczek’s 6-4, 6-3 victory secured the match for the Hoosiers, improving their record to 9-3 on the young season.After losing a closely contested first set, Chupa stormed back to capture the second set and went on to win the match in a tiebreak 6-7, 6-1 (14-12).Kauss was defeated in straight sets, and Vertesheva lost in three sets.“This was a good team match because we were competitive at every position,” Loring said. “The doubles match we lost was a tiebreaker. In singles, we lost one in three sets, and another one was a tiebreaker, so I’m pleased because we were really competitive at every position.”