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(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.”
(02/24/12 4:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings this week welcomed the cream and crimson for the first time this season.The Hoosiers, ranked No. 74 in the nation, look to create a winning streak against ranked opposition after downing then-No. 71 DePaul University this past Sunday.This weekend, the 8-2 Hoosiers will play Notre Dame and Kentucky.The Hoosiers will be tested as they face two BCS conference programs for the second straight week.The action begins at 3 p.m. Friday, as the team travels to South Bend to take on the No. 23 Fighting Irish. The Irish will feature nationally ranked players No. 39 Shannon Mathews and No. 124 Jennifer Kellner. Notre Dame also boasts the formidable tandem of Mathews and Kristy Frilling, ranked No. 3 in the nation.The freshmen duo of Carolyn Chupa and Katie Klyczek, who have played No. 1 doubles lately, will likely face this pair of Irish women.This will not be a new experience for the IU tandem, as it went against the No. 2 pairing from Tennessee 3-1 before surrendering seven of the next eight games to fall 8-4. Frilling was awarded the Big East Player of the Week award, meaning the Hoosiers will have played the three most recent Big East players of the week after facing Jasmin King and Rebeca Mitrea of DePaul last week.The Irish’s record stands at 6-3 this season. IU and Notre Dame have fought some of the same opponents this season. Both Notre Dame and IU have beaten the University of Cincinnati this season by scores of 7-0 and 6-1, respectively.Also, both teams have lost to No. 10 Tennessee by scores of 6-1 and 5-2, respectively.To beat the Irish, IU will lean on sophomore Kayla Fujimoto, who is 3-0 in singles matches, when the Hoosiers play nationally ranked opponents.“Every match, I go in with the same mentality and focus on my game, not the opponent,” Fujimoto said.The team heads back to Bloomington to face unranked Kentucky at 11 a.m. Sunday at the IU Tennis Center.The team from Lexington boasts the same record as IU, 8-2. Kentucky’s two losses came at the hands of Purdue 6-1 earlier in the season and Akron 4-3 this past Tuesday.Kentucky and IU have both played Cincinnati, both beating the Bearcats handily. This is the Big Blue’s last non-conference game before it kicks off the Southeastern Conference potion of its schedule.The Wildcats are still searching for their first road win of the season.Kentucky is absent from the list of nationally ranked singles players, but it will bring the No. 36 doubles tandem of Jessica Stiles and Khristina Blajkevitch into Bloomington.IU, while ranked nationally as a team for the first time this season, features no nationally ranked singles players or doubles duos.Fujimoto said for the players to continue their winning ways, one of the keys is to block out what pundits say and focus on the team.“We’ll succeed if we believe in ourselves and if we just put it together mentally,” Fujimoto said.Conversely, if the team chemistry starts to slip, so will the record, she said. “Any fault is team chemistry, and we won’t succeed,” Fujimoto said. “We have to stay united.”
(02/21/12 2:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When Evgeniya Vertesheva graduated high school in Russia, she could go to school in the United States or try to play as a professional tennis player.“In Russia, it was a choice of going professional or school,” Vertesheva said with her distinctive accent. “I wanted an education, and in Russia there are no athletics in the universities.” Vertesheva attended California State Northridge her freshman year, where she played No. 1 the entire year. She was named All-Big West for both singles and doubles.Due to a variety of reasons, she chose to wear the cream and crimson and transfer to IU her sophomore year.“I transferred to IU because of the very strong academics, especially in economics, which is my major,” Vertesheva said.At IU, she continued to excel on the court and was named to All-Big Ten in her sophomore and junior years. She led the Hoosiers in total singles wins during her sophomore year and tied with now-junior Leslie Hureau her junior year.Coming into this season, Vertesheva had to take on a different role. She is the lone senior on a young team that features five freshmen.“Since there are five freshmen and I am the only senior, I have to be more organized,” she said. “You cannot be a bad example. You have to assume responsibility. You have to be careful what you do because there are so many freshmen watching what you do.”Vertesheva said she feels responsible for the freshmen but has to watch how much she helps the newcomers.“There is a thin line,” Vertesheva said. “At some point you are responsible for them, but there are some things you should let them handle and figure out on their own. Being a freshman is pretty hard.”“Geniya has helped me a lot,” freshman Katie Klyczek said. “She’ll never belittle you for making a mistake. She’s always very supporting.”Vertesheva said all the new blood on the team can contribute to the team’s success.“There are a lot of new things on the team,” Vertesheva said. “It adds freshness, and we aren’t relying on past seasons. We have new potential.”Injuries played a big role in seasons past. For this team to succeed, individual sacrifices must be made, Vertesheva said.“We won’t succeed if we have a lack of chemistry and support,” she said. “And if we are pursuing personal rather than team goals.”IU Coach Lin Loring has helped her progress not only in her skills with the racket, but with growing as a person.“He really cares about us and pays attention to every single detail,” Vertesheva said. “Whether it’s asking us how much sleep we got last night, I know I can come to him with any problem I have.”Loring said he is happy with the kind of player and person Vertesheva is.“Geniya has been real consistent on the court and off the court. She is an excellent student,” Loring said. “She’s a total low-maintenance player. She’s never injured, never wants another racket or tennis shoe or anything.” At IU, the amount of team spirit and chemistry is a drastic dichotomy of how she trained in Russia, Vertesheva said.“I have developed a lot of team spirit since coming to America,” Vertesheva said. “I used to practice and didn’t have a team. I was an individual. The 24 sports, one team way of thinking is really true and pretty cool.”
(02/20/12 4:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This weekend the Hoosiers faced highly touted competition, taking on two ranked opponents. Friday, IU played the No. 10 Tennessee Volunteers. The nationally ranked Volunteers beat IU 5-2, snapping the Hoosiers’ seven-game winning streak.The action started when Tennessee took the doubles point by winning two of the three doubles matches.Senior Evgeniya Vertesheva and sophomore Kayla Fujimoto were ousted 8-1 in the No. 2 slot. The Hoosiers evened things up at the No. 3 slot with junior Leslie Hureau and freshman Alecia Kauss winning 8-2.With the doubles point up for grabs, the freshmen tandem of Carolyn Chupa and Katie Klyczek led the No. 2 doubles pair in the nation of Brynn Boren and Sarah Toti 3-1. Boren and Toti then won seven of the next eight games, winning 8-4.Singles action saw losses for the 1-4 slots for the Hoosiers. Hureau lost 6-2, 6-2 in the No. 1 slot to No. 34 Boren. Vertesheva lost 6-3, 6-1 to No. 37 Kata Szekely in the No. 2 slot. The No. 3 and No. 4 slots saw Klyczek and Chupa fall by the scores of 6-2, 6-3 and 6-3, 6-3, respectively.Kauss picked up the victory in the No. 5 slot 6-4, 6-2, and Fujimoto won in the No. 6 slot 7-5, 6-2.“We had some good individual performances, but overall, it was a disappointing match,” IU Coach Lin Loring said. “We beat ourselves at too many positions. They are No. 10 for a reason, but we should have been more competitive as a team.”On Sunday, the Hoosiers regrouped to beat the No. 71 DePaul Blue Demons in a 4-3 nail-biter.In doubles action, Chupa and Klyczek fell 8-3, and the pair of Hureau and Kauss beat their opponents 8-4.With the doubles point up for grabs, Vertesheva and Fujimoto trailed 5-6, and then stormed back to take the next three games, winning 8-6.In singles, Hureau and Fujimoto were victorious while Vertesheva, Klyczek and Kauss lost in straight sets.With the score knotted at 3-3, the match of Chupa and Kelsey Lawson was decisive.After getting beat 6-3 in the first set, Chupa took the second set 6-3, leaving a third set to decide the match.In the tiebreak, Chupa took the match 7-4 as Lawson’s lob went long and her teammates flooded the court to embrace in a group hug.The win for Chupa secured the match for the Hoosiers, who gained their first win versus a ranked opponent this year.“Win or lose, I think we just competed harder,” Loring said. “This team got a personality today. We had a spirit out there, and we kept fighting. I feel really good for Carolyn because she’s been in a slump lately and especially after getting killed in the first set.”When asked how it felt to win the match for the team, Chupa said there was more to the win than her singles victory.“I was definitely in a better mood after the match,” Chupa said. “Everyone on the team contributed to this match. It was a breakthrough for our team.”The team improved to 8-2 on the young season and gained a signature win in the process.“This was a win that we needed,” Loring said.
(02/16/12 4:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This weekend, the Hoosiers will look to extend their seven-game winning streak against formidable opponents at home, where they are undefeated this season.On Friday, the team will take on its first nationally ranked opponent since its season-opening loss to Duke. The Hoosiers face off against the University of Tennessee at 1:30 p.m.The Volunteers are ranked No. 17 in the nation and boast wins against No. 5 Baylor, No. 10 Michigan, No. 12 Northwestern, No. 22 Tulsa and No. 24 Notre Dame.Tennessee stands at a record of 6-3 with all three losses against top 25 competition. The Volunteers did not surrender the doubles point in any of the nine matches.The team from Knoxville, Tenn., features nationally ranked singles players No. 24 Natalie Pluskota, No. 27 Brynn Boren and No. 59 Kata Szekely. The Volunteers also have the No. 9 doubles tandem Pluskota and Szekely and No. 18 Boren and Sarah Toti.The Hoosiers will square off against DePaul University at 11 a.m. Sunday The Blue Demons have a 7-1 record during the season. They are coming off a win against No. 37 North Carolina State and No. 36 Southern Methodist University. In the past two weeks, DePaul has had two Big East Player of the Week awards. Freshman Jasmin Kling won the honor for the previous week, and fellow freshman Rebeca Mitrea won the award the week before.Taking on such highly ranked opponents, the Hoosiers such as freshman Alecia Kauss will look to continue their success. Kauss has gone 5-2 for the team portion of the season in singles, and for the past two matches, she has outscored her opponents 24-3.“I have great teammates to practice with, and we enjoy helping each other,” Kauss said. “Plus, not all scores are indicative of the match. Just because you win 6-0 doesn’t mean the other person didn’t play well.”Kauss acknowledged her recent success is a sign of her hard work.“I feel now I’m playing better and better,” Kauss said. “I wasn’t playing my best in the beginning, but now I’m coming into my own.”She said adjustments had to be made from the junior circuit to collegiate ball. “There is definitely an adjustment with college academics,” Kauss said. “First semester was more difficult, but you have to learn how to balance athletics with academics.”For this particular tennis team, Kauss said chemistry seems to be one of its best attributes.“College tennis is a lot more fun because of the team aspect,” Kauss said.Kauss, from Overland Park, Kan., had a decorated career before college ball and a multitude of options before choosing to spend her collegiate career in Bloomington. Kauss said IU’s esteemed business school and the coaching staff were big factors in her decision to forgo attending Texas A&M, Tennessee and Iowa to play for the Hoosiers.“I chose IU because I liked the team and loved (Head Coach) Loring and (Associate Head Coach) Ramiro,” Kauss said. “They are respectable people, and they are very warm and friendly.”
(02/13/12 2:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers increased their winning streak to seven Saturday with wins against Miami University (Ohio) and Ball State University.The action started at 11 a.m. as the Hoosiers took on the Miami of Ohio Redhawks. The Hoosiers ousted the team from Oxford, Ohio, with a score of 5-2.Competing for the doubles point, the tandems of sophomore Kayla Fujimoto and senior Evgeniya Vertesheva and freshman Alecia Kauss and junior Leslie Hureau both won 8-1 in their matches.With the doubles point already secured, the freshman tandem of Katie Klyczek and Carolyn Chupa were down 4-6 before rallying to take the last four games of their match, 8-6.The singles matches were tightly contested against the Redhawks. Hureau played the No. 1 spot and took the match 7-5, 6-1.The Hoosiers’ two losses for the match happened in the No. 2 and 3 slots. Vertesheva lost in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2. Chupa lost in three sets 6-4, 0-6, 6-3.“In the first match I had a bad matchup,” Vertesheva said. “I had trouble with her game style and lost the game, which was frustrating.”Klyczek won her match in straight sets, 7-6, 6-3. Her opponent’s return went into the net, which secured the win not only for Klyczek but also gave the Hoosiers the fourth point of the match, securing the team’s sixth-straight win.In the No. 5 slot, Kauss rolled to victory against her opponent 6-1, 6-0. After losing the first set of the match, Fujimoto came back to win the next two sets to take the match 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.IU Coach Lin Loring said he was not surprised with the fight Miami showed.“Miami is always (No.) 1 or 2 in the MAC Conference,” Loring said. “I was pleased with the doubles, but I think we came out flat in the singles. We knew they wouldn’t be intimidated with a Big Ten team.”In the second match of the day, the Hoosiers took on the Ball State Cardinals and swept the Muncie team 7-0. In doubles, Chupa and Klyczek, Fujimoto and Vertesheva and Hureau and Kauss all won against their opponents while not giving up more than three games in any one match.When asked who he was most impressed with for the day, Loring said he was particularly happy with the No. 2 doubles tandem of Vertesheva and Fujimoto. “The No. 2 doubles played as good as they have in a while,” Loring said. “They have been up and down this season.”The singles matches had larger margins of victories than those against Miami.Klyczek, Fujimoto and sophomore Sophie Garre all won their matches 6-0, 6-1. Kauss and Vertesheva also had little trouble with their opponents as Kauss won 6-2, 6-0 and Vertesheva won 6-1, 6-0.“I played better in the second match,” Vertesheva said. “I played like I’m used to.”When freshman Shannon Murdy’s opponent put her shot into the net, it secured the Hoosiers’ sweep of the Cardinals. Murdy won 6-3, 6-2.The Hoosiers were able to get other players court time in the Ball State match.“We are eight players deep, so we were able to keep engaged,” Loring said. “It’s not like basketball, where you can play someone for 10 minutes and take them out.”These wins extend the Hoosiers’ streak to seven, which Loring said wasn’t surprising.“It’s where we should be,” Loring said. “If it was up to us, we would be 7-1.”
(02/09/12 3:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A plethora of red shirts will enter the door of the IU Tennis Center as IU plays Miami of Ohio and Ball State this weekend. On Saturday, the Hoosiers will try to extend their five-match win streak, in which they have outscored opponents by a combined total of 33-2. The team will play the Miami of Ohio Redhawks at 11 a.m. and the Ball State Cardinals at 4 p.m. Miami of Ohio has a record of 2-3 this season, with losses to No. 71 Kentucky, No. 18 Vanderbilt and No. 59 Memphis. The Redhawks’ two wins this season are against the two teams the Hoosiers faced this past weekend, Xavier and Cincinnati. The Hoosiers defeated both by a combined score of 14-0, while Miami beat both by a combined total of 13-1.Miami of Ohio will have played against Furman on Friday prior to IU.In the second match of the day, the Hoosiers take on in-state opponent Ball State. The team from Muncie comes to Bloomington undefeated at 4-0. The Cardinals have defeated IUPUI, Dayton, Wright State and Detroit Mercy by a total of 27-1. Before IU, they play University of Chicago on Friday.Neither team is nationally ranked, nor do they have any players or tandems nationally ranked, according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.The Hoosiers’ lone representative in the rankings is freshman Carolyn Chupa, who is ranked No. 79 in singles. Chupa’s doubles partner for much of the season has been fellow freshman Katie Klyczek. For the team portion of the schedule, they have gone 4-1 in doubles matches. Their only loss was against a No. 3 nationally ranked Duke squad.Klyczek said their success is no accident. “Chemistry is really important, and having chemistry is the difference between a lot of teams,” Klyczek said. “You have to feel comfortable with your partner on and off the court.”Klyczek said the No. 1 reason they will succeed when Big Ten play starts is the tight bond they possess.“This team has a good vibe,” Klyczek said. “We all get along really well. We want to get back to the top, and we have a lot of talent.” Klyczek said the main difference between collegiate and junior tennis is the feature of the team.“It’s different with the team aspect,” Klyczek said. “You’re playing for coaches and school. You want to win for each other.”The team aspect, which the IU program focuses heavily on, is one of the reasons Klyczek, who is from Munster, Ind., spurned Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Colorado and Notre Dame to play for IU.“I came to IU because the coaching staff is great,” Klyczek said. “It’s also close to home, so my parents can come on the weekends to watch me play.”
(02/06/12 3:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Saturday, Feb. 4, the women’s tennis team traveled to Cincinnati to take on the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Xavier Musketeers.The Hoosiers lifted their overall record to 5-1 with wins against both schools. The Hoosiers beat Cincinnati by an overall score of 6-1.“This was a good road experience for the team,” IU Coach Lin Loring said. “The courts were fast, and we had to make adjustments.”Indiana captured the doubles point by not losing a doubles match. The freshmen duo of Carolyn Chupa and Katie Klyczek outlasted opponents Jasmine Lee and Ashleigh Witte 9-7.Sophmore Kayla Fujimoto and senior Evgeniya Vertesheva defeated Safiyya Ismail and Kristina Georgieva 8-2.In the final doubles match, senior Leslie Hureau and freshman Alecia Kauss took down Sierra Sullivan and Carly Wilson 8-2. In singles action, the results were congruent with the doubles play. Vertesheva won a tightly contested match against Lee 7-6, 7-5 to capture the win for the one spot. Klyczek was victorious in the two spot, winning 6-1, 6-3 versus Georgieva. The lone Hoosier loss of the day came at the three spot when Kauss was taken down by Witte 6-2, 7-5.The six slot was no contest for sophomore Sophie Garre as she defeated Wilson by only losing a single game.Later in the day, the Hoosiers faced off against the Xavier Musketeers.Xavier had not played a match earlier in the day like Indiana had, meaning that fatigue could have played a factor in the outcome, but it did not. Indiana defeated the Musketeers by the score of 7-0. The Hoosiers captured the doubles point early in the match and never looked back.The duo of Chupa and Klyczek won its second match of the day against Kally Alkire and Katie Pleiman 8-3. Vertesheva and Fujimoto also won their second doubles match of the day, winning against Allyson Westling and Daniella Patton 8-3.The Hoosiers went a combined 6-0 in doubles matches Saturday.In singles action, the Hoosiers did not lose a single match.Switching things up at the top, Hureau played the one spot and defeated Pleiman 6-0, 6-4. Securing the No. 2 slot, Vertesheva took down Patton 6-1, 6-2. At the three match, Chupa won the tiebreaker, stopping a comeback attempt by Wolf 6-0, 6-7, 10-4. Klyczek was victorious against Alkire 6-3, 6-3 in the four slot. Garre won against Lizzie Oosterbaan 6-3, 6-3 in the five match.After dropping the first set of the match, No. 6 Murdy took the tiebreaker from Westling 6-7, 6-1, 10-6. “We didn’t play our greatest tennis, but we competed well,” Loring said. “Hopefully we will learn from this and get better.”
(02/03/12 4:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This Saturday the Hoosiers travel to Cincinnati, where the women’s tennis team will embark on a doubleheader.Play will start with the team taking on the Cincinnati Bearcats at 11 a.m. The Bearcats will be searching for their first win of the season, as they have lost all three of their matches. They have been defeated by Notre Dame, Miami of Ohio and Bowling Green by the combined total score of 19-2.Later in the day, the Hoosiers will face off against the Xavier Musketeers. Play against Xavier commences at 4 p.m.The Musketeers bring a winning record into the second match of the day. With wins against Toledo and Detroit, Xavier will be looking for its third win of the season. The lone loss of the season for Xavier was at the hands of Miami of Ohio in which the Musketeers were shut out 7-0. Combining all of the matches Xavier has played this season, it stands at a record of 10-11 for team points.The element of fatigue could be a contributing factor for the Musketeers in this match.“Xavier will not have played a match in the morning, so they will be fresh,” IU Coach Lin Loring said. “That will make it more of a challenge for us.”In comparison, the Hoosiers come into play with a combined record of 21-7 for all team points. Six of the team point losses came at the hands of the No. 3 team in the nation, the Duke Blue Devils.Neither Xavier nor Cincinnati feature any nationally ranked singles players or doubles duos while the Hoosiers feature the No. 79 ranked player in the nation, freshman Carolyn Chupa.Indiana was victorious against both of these teams last year when they played.This doubleheader on the road is a sort of an oddity.“We normally do not play doubleheaders on the road,” Loring said. Traveling to Cincinnati was done on purpose, as the team wanted to play in as many road matches as possible to gain precious experience for this young team.“We specifically did this so our freshmen could gain experience playing road matches,” Loring said.Playing on the road when Big Ten conference play starts could be a challenge for this young squad. In tennis specifically, playing on the road can be a foreign and difficult task.“Any time you go on the road, you’re not sleeping in your own bed, and the travel is tiring,” Loring said. All tennis courts are different speeds, she said. For example, Michigan State has a wax floor, while Purdue has a brand new, slow floor.Getting the women used to different speeds and lighting is crucial so as to “get them out of their comfort zone,” Loring said.
(01/31/12 3:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>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.
(01/27/12 5:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After splitting the two opening matches of the season, the IU women’s tennis team comes back to Bloomington to open the home portion of the schedule this Saturday. In the front end of a doubleheader, the Hoosiers will square off against the Western Michigan Broncos at 11 a.m.The Broncos opened their season with a 7-0 shut out loss to the No. 10 team in the nation, the Michigan Wolverines. Their second match was a shutout victory, 7-0, against the University of Detroit.Later that same day, the Hoosiers will play in-state rival Butler. Play for that match starts at 4 p.m. at the IU Tennis Center.This will be the opening match of the year for the Bulldogs.Neither Western Michigan nor Butler feature any nationally ranked singles players or doubles tandems. Going into matches such as these two, the players do not have the opportunity to scout their opponents.“We do not know who we are going to play going into a match,” freshman Carolyn Chupa said.No. 78 Chupa said being thrust into the match unaware of the identity of the opponent is the preferred way for her.“It’s better not knowing. You have a clear mind, and you’re not thinking a lot about other things,” Chupa said.After starting out the season 1-1 with a 6-1 loss to No. 3 Duke last week, Chupa explained what can be taken from a match like that.“The match score didn’t indicate how close the matches were,” Chupa said. “Duke played the bigger points better, but it was a great learning experience.”With five freshmen on the team, it was several members’ first experiences in a team collegiate match. Adjustments from high school or junior tennis have to be made to accommodate the skill level of collegiate tennis.“The team aspect is a lot different, because in junior tennis it’s more about individuals and tournaments,” Chupa said. “The level of talent is about the same, but the girls hit a lot harder in college.”This year in particular, team chemistry seems to be a strong point for the cream and crimson.“There haven’t been any internal problems, and you see that a lot with other teams,” Chupa said. “In some cases, players cannot get along with other players or with the coaches.”The positive environment, which not only promotes success in sports but also academics, is one of the main reasons Chupa spurned Michigan, Wake Forest and Florida State to come to Bloomington to play college ball.“The reason I came to IU was a combination of the tennis program and the business school,” Chupa explained. “I’m a direct admit to the Kelley School and that is not an opportunity that I could have gotten at other schools.”