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Everyone Contributing as IU Readies for Cincinnati, Xavier
1/29/2016 11:49:00 AM | Women's Tennis
By: Sam Beishuizen, IUHoosiers.com | Twitter
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The part Lin Loring likes most about his job is also one of the most frustrating—it's unpredictable.
None of Loring's first 38 seasons in Bloomington have been the same, Loring said, and his 39th will be no different.
"It's not like working at IBM where every day might be the same," Loring said. "Every year is so different and has its own challenges."
The most pressing challenge facing Loring's team as it enters its second weekend of play is health, or a lack thereof.
Freshman Caitlin Bernard had an ACL surgery that will keep her out for the year, fellow freshman Natalie Whalen has missed time with a back injury and sophomore Stephanie Smith is just now starting to return to form after being sidelined herself.
The injury bug is even more testing in a sport like tennis where teams typically have just eight or nine players on a roster. Three injuries account for about one-third of the team, which has forced Loring and his staff to get creative in setting its lineups early on in the year.
"Right now, all the girls know they're going to get a chance to contribute because of the injuries we have," Loring said. "Some years, you have six kids that help you both ways, singles and doubles. But that's not happening this year, so everybody's going to contribute."
Indiana's injuries have compounded with an already inexperienced roster that lost four seniors to graduation at the end of last season. The combination has opened the door for new faces to jump into the lineup and see action early on in their careers.
Among those new to the program having experienced early success are freshmen Madison Appel and Danielle Wolf.
Against Butler, Appel picked up wins at No. 1 singles and No. 2 doubles while Wolf added victories at No. 6 singles and No. 3 doubles. That came after Appel won at No. 2 singles and Wolf won at No. 3 doubles against Miami (Ohio) in the opening match of the season.
"The freshmen that are healthy are doing great," Loring said. "They've been asked to come in and immediately help us out."
That trend will likely continue throughout the season, including Saturday when the Hoosiers head to Cincinnati, Ohio, to play Xavier and Cincinnati. There's nothing Loring can do any differently than to wait for players to get healthy and continue tinkering with his limited lineup as much as he can.
It might hinder Indiana's success for now, or it might not. Loring's not entirely sure.
But that's what makes his job more exciting than sitting in an office.
"The tough part about our sport is you either start or you don't play," Loring said. "It's not like soccer, basketball where you go in for five minutes and at least get your jersey dirty. So a lot of times you have really good players who don't get in. With our injuries, I'm not sure if that's an advantage or a disadvantage for us, but that's what we've got."
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The part Lin Loring likes most about his job is also one of the most frustrating—it's unpredictable.
None of Loring's first 38 seasons in Bloomington have been the same, Loring said, and his 39th will be no different.
"It's not like working at IBM where every day might be the same," Loring said. "Every year is so different and has its own challenges."
The most pressing challenge facing Loring's team as it enters its second weekend of play is health, or a lack thereof.
Freshman Caitlin Bernard had an ACL surgery that will keep her out for the year, fellow freshman Natalie Whalen has missed time with a back injury and sophomore Stephanie Smith is just now starting to return to form after being sidelined herself.
The injury bug is even more testing in a sport like tennis where teams typically have just eight or nine players on a roster. Three injuries account for about one-third of the team, which has forced Loring and his staff to get creative in setting its lineups early on in the year.
"Right now, all the girls know they're going to get a chance to contribute because of the injuries we have," Loring said. "Some years, you have six kids that help you both ways, singles and doubles. But that's not happening this year, so everybody's going to contribute."
Indiana's injuries have compounded with an already inexperienced roster that lost four seniors to graduation at the end of last season. The combination has opened the door for new faces to jump into the lineup and see action early on in their careers.
Among those new to the program having experienced early success are freshmen Madison Appel and Danielle Wolf.
Against Butler, Appel picked up wins at No. 1 singles and No. 2 doubles while Wolf added victories at No. 6 singles and No. 3 doubles. That came after Appel won at No. 2 singles and Wolf won at No. 3 doubles against Miami (Ohio) in the opening match of the season.
"The freshmen that are healthy are doing great," Loring said. "They've been asked to come in and immediately help us out."
That trend will likely continue throughout the season, including Saturday when the Hoosiers head to Cincinnati, Ohio, to play Xavier and Cincinnati. There's nothing Loring can do any differently than to wait for players to get healthy and continue tinkering with his limited lineup as much as he can.
It might hinder Indiana's success for now, or it might not. Loring's not entirely sure.
But that's what makes his job more exciting than sitting in an office.
"The tough part about our sport is you either start or you don't play," Loring said. "It's not like soccer, basketball where you go in for five minutes and at least get your jersey dirty. So a lot of times you have really good players who don't get in. With our injuries, I'm not sure if that's an advantage or a disadvantage for us, but that's what we've got."
Players Mentioned
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