Indiana University Athletics
No. 32 Hoosiers Host No. 14 Duke and Ball State
1/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Jan. 25, 2006
Weekly Notes - Duke and Ball State
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The No. 32 Indiana women's tennis team is set to take on No. 14 Duke and instate foe Ball State on Jan. 29 at the Indiana Tennis Center. IU will take the court against the Blue Devils at 10 a.m. and again at 3 p.m. to face the Cardinals. The Hoosiers enter the match with a 3-0 record with wins over Miami (Ohio), Western Michigan and Kansas. Duke is 1-0 on the young season with a victory over No. 19 Tennessee. Ball State is currently 1-1 with two matches to go before squaring off against IU.
Last Time Out
The Indiana women's tennis team improved its record to 3-0 with a 5-2 victory over Kansas on Jan. 22 at the Indiana Tennis Center. For the third consecutive match, the Hoosiers were unbeatable in doubles.
At No. 1 doubles, senior Sarah Batty and junior Laura McGaffigan convincingly defeated Christine Skoda and Elizaveta Avdeeva, 8-1. Freshman Sigrid Fischer and sophomore Brianna Williams won at the No. 2 slot with an 8-2 win over Lauren Hommell and Edina Horvath to secure the doubles point for Indiana. In the tightest doubles match of the day, freshman Alba Berdala and junior Cecile Perton beat Brittany Brown and Ksenia Bukina, 8-5, in the No. 3 position for the sweep.
In singles, Berdala, Fischer and Williams all claimed singles wins in straight sets to clinch the 5-2 victory over the Jayhawks.
Seeing Double
So far in 2006, the Hoosiers boast a perfect 9-0 record in doubles action. In all three matches, Indiana has overwhelmingly claimed the doubles point.
Last Time Against the Blue Devils
The last time Indiana and Duke squared off was on Jan. 29, 2005 in Durham, N.C. The then-No. 8 Blue Devils handed the then-No. 29 Indiana its first loss of the season. The Hoosiers dropped the match 5-2, but IU pulled off three-set victories in the No. 2 and No. 3 singles positions thanks to Sarah Batty and Laura McGaffigan.
Last Time Against the Cardinals
Last season, the Hoosiers opened up the spring campaign with a 6-1 win over Ball State on Jan. 22. The then-No. 29 Indiana claimed the doubles point by winning all three doubles matches, followed by victories in four singles contests.
Scouting the Blue Devils
Duke enters the match the No. 14 ranked team in the country. The Blue Devils boast a 1-0 record with a 6-1 win over No. 19 Tennessee on Jan. 22. Duke boasts a pair of ranked players in both singles and doubles. The Blue Devils are led by reigning Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week No. 6 Daniela Bercek and No. 27 Jackie Carleton who saw action in the No. 1 and No. 2 positions against the Lady Vols. In doubles, Bercek and Jessi Robinson are ranked No. 10 while Jennifer Zika and Melissa Mang, who played No. 3 doubles against UT, are ranked No. 41.
Last season, Duke had an overall ledger of 16-11 and 5-5 in ACC action. The Blue Devils rounded out the year ranked No. 15 but earned as high of a ranking as No. 5.
Scouting the Cardinals
Ball State returns to Bloomington to face Indiana after falling to Kansas last weekend at the Indiana Tennis Center. So far this season the Cardinals are 1-1. Before facing the Hoosiers, Ball State will take on Dayton and UW-Milwaukee on Jan. 28. To open the season, BSU topped Wright State, 6-1, before falling to Kansas, 7-0. Ball State is led by senior Katie Owens who went 7-5 in singles in fall play. Junior Jessica Thompson, who was 7-6 in the fall, has seen action in the No. 1 singles slot so far this season.
Last season, the Cardinals were 14-10 overall and tied for seventh place with a 3-6 mark in Mid-American Conference play.
So Far So Good
Sophomore Brianna Williams and freshman Sigrid Fischer both kicked off the 2006 season with perfect 3-0 singles and doubles records. Williams has played at both the No. 3 and No. 4 singles slots and has not dropped a set. In her first season in the Cream and Crimson, Fischer has won all three of her matches in both the No. 5 and No. 6 positions.
Tough Road Ahead
The 2006 Indiana women's tennis schedule is one of the toughest in the country. Along with a grueling Big Ten schedule, the Hoosiers are set to face a total of 12 ranked opponents. In the month of January, IU defeated No. 54 Western Michigan (1/15) and will face t-15 Duke on Jan. 29.
Hoosiers In the Rankings
The 2006 Indiana women's tennis team will open its 2006 season ranked in the top 50 of the ITA's rankings. As a team, IU is ranked No. 32, four spots higher than its final rank. Senior captain Sarah Batty kicks off her final campaign as a Hoosier with a No. 98 ranking. Junior Laura McGaffigan earned her first national ranking at the No. 100 slot and in doubles the pair is ranked No. 37.
Who's Next?
The Hoosiers are back in action on Saturday, Feb. 11 against Marquette at 10 a.m. and again on Sunday, Feb. 12 against DePaul at 10 a.m. and Butler at 3 p.m. Matches are held at the Indiana Tennis Center.
