Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Tennessee
Hoosiers Upset No. 28 Tennessee, 5-2
2/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Feb. 25, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The No. 31 Indiana women's tennis team upset No. 28 Tennessee, 5-2, on Feb. 25 at the Indiana Tennis Center. The Hoosiers earned four singles wins, while the doubles team of sophomore Brianna Williams and freshman Sigrid Fischer earned its first victory over a ranked opponent. Indiana improved its record to 9-2, while the Lady Vols dropped to 2-6 on the season. The win is the second over a ranked opponent for IU this season.
"We needed this," Indiana head coach Lin Loring said. "The win gave the team a lot of confidence. Tennessee was a good team. They are consistently a top-20 team who has great facilities and a great coach. To beat Tennessee in any women's sport is a huge deal. Right now, we are playing about as well as we can be. We could have easily have lost this match, but we played well in doubles again and strong in singles. Overall, I am pleased with the win."
In doubles, the Hoosiers jumped out to the early 2-0 lead in all three matches en route to claiming the doubles point for the 10th time this season. The No. 2 doubles pair of Williams and Fischer stepped off the court first after earning their first win over a ranked opponent. The IU pair topped No. 58 Blackely Griffen and Victoria Jones, 8-2. The win improved Williams and Fischer's doubles record to 10-1.
In a heated match at No.1 doubles, senior Sarah Batty and junior Laura McGaffigan clinched the doubles point for Indiana with an 8-4 win over Tennessee's Melissa Schaub and Ghizela Schutte. Despite a late-match surge from the Lady Vols, it was not enough as Batty and McGaffigan nabbed their 10th doubles win in the No. 1 slot.
Junior Cecile Perton and freshman Alba Berdala completed the sweep of the doubles point for the fifth straight match with an 8-6 win over Samantha Orlin and Stephanie Harris. Despite jumping to the 4-1 early lead, Tennessee battled back and traded games with the Hoosiers until IU finally came out on top to earn the win.
In singles, Batty topped Jones easily in the No. 1 position, 6-2, 6-2. So far in 2006, Batty is 8-3 in singles. Berdala added the Hoosiers' third point of the match with a 6-4, 6-2 victory in the No. 4 slot over Schutte. Berdala is now 8-3 overall in singles play and 6-2 at the No. 4 position.
McGaffigan at No. 2 singles earned the Hoosier's fourth point and the win with a 7-5, 6-0 win over Griffith. McGaffigan, who trailed slightly in the first set, fought hard to pull out the win in the first set before blanking Griffith in the second. McGaffigan is now 8-3 in singles play this season.
Perton, in the No. 6 position, prevailed in two tiebreakers to win her match, 7-6, 7-6. For the season, Perton is 6-3. In a tight match at the No. 3 slot, Williams suffered only her second loss of the season falling, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 to Schaub. At No. 5 singles, Fischer, who fought hard in the second set, dropped her match, 6-1, 6-4.
Indiana travels to South Bend, Ind., for its first mid-week matchup of the season against in-state foe No. 7 Notre Dame. The match is slated for 3 p.m.
Players Mentioned
