Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Set for Big Ten Battle with Buckeyes
4/6/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
April 6, 2006
Weekly Release - Ohio State
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The No. 30 Indiana women's tennis team is set to take on No. 68 Ohio State in its sixth Big Ten contest of the season. The Hoosiers will travel to Columbus, Ohio on April 9 to square off against the Buckeyes at 11 a.m., at OSU's Stickney Tennis Center, weather permitting. Indiana enters the match with a 14-5 overall record and a 4-1 ledger in the Big Ten, while the Buckeyes are 12-7 overall and 2-2 in league play. Ohio State will face Penn State prior to meeting the Hoosiers.
Loring Hits 300 Win Plateau
This spring, head coach Lin Loring, who is in his 29th season at IU, notched his 300th career Big Ten win against Wisconsin in Madison on April 2. To earn the notable win, the Hoosiers topped the Badgers, 5-2. Currently, Loring holds a 300-61 record in conference play. Ironically, former IU standout, Kelly Ferguson, is the second winningest coach behind Loring in the Big Ten. Ferguson, who coached Wisconsin for 13 seasons, holds a 120-55 mark in conference play.
"A lot of people deserve credit for this," Loring said about his 300th Big Ten win. "I have been surrounded with excellent support staff during my 29 seasons at Indiana. This milestone is a total team effort and a reflection of the hard work of so many."
Batty and McGaffigan Earn National Ranking
IU's No. 1 doubles team of senior Sarah Batty and junior Laura McGaffigan earned the No. 57 nod in the April 4 ITA/Fila Rankings. Heading into this weekend's matchup with No. 68 Ohio State, Batty and McGaffigan are 15-4 in dual match play and 4-1 in Big Ten action. So far this season, the duo upset Illinois' then-No. 37 pair of Macall Harkins and Emily Wang, 8-5, on March 26.
The Ohio State Series
Heading into Sunday's match with the Buckeyes, Indiana leads the series with Ohio State, 28-5. IU has claimed the last two meetings. The last time the two teams faced each other was on April 8, 2005 in Bloomington where the Hoosiers walked away with the 7-0 win. After sweeping the doubles point, Sarah Batty (No. 2), Laura McGaffigan (No. 3), Brianna Williams (No. 4) and Cecile Perton (No. 6) all notched wins.
Scouting the Buckeyes
No. 68 Ohio State enters the match with Indiana 12-7 overall and 2-2 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes will take on Penn State on Saturday, April 8 before facing the Hoosiers. OSU has won three of their last four contests and have collected wins over Cincinnati, Bowling Green, West Virginia, Missouri, Eastern Kentucky, Louisville, Marquette, Washington State, Xavier and Ohio Northern. In conference action, the Buckeyes topped Minnesota and Illinois and have suffered losses to Iowa and Purdue. Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Tennessee, New Mexico and Nebraska fill the loss column for Ohio State.
Who's Next?
Indiana returns to Bloomington for its finals home matches of the season. Additionally, the Hoosiers will honor senior Sarah Batty. IU will square off against Minnesota on Saturday, April 15, followed by a showdown with Iowa on Sunday, April 16. Match times are still being determined. Weather permitting, both matches will be held at the Indiana Varsity Tennis Courts.
