Team aims to stop road losses

Road trips are usually considered fun. But the men's tennis team might say otherwise. \nAfter road losses to Kentucky and Ole Miss during spring break, the No. 43 Hoosiers will make a trip to Iowa Saturday to take on the Hawkeyes in hopes of getting back on track. IU enters the match 8-4, starting the season 8-1 before falling into a three-match skid. The Hawkeyes enter at 8-3, winners of five of their last six matches. \nNot just looking to break their losing streak, the Hoosiers will also be fighting for their first Big Ten win of the season, with two of their four losses coming to conference foes Purdue and Minnesota. \n"This is a big match for us," coach Ken Hydinger said. "We are 0-2 in the Big Ten, and we need to have this match." \nThe Hoosiers defeated the Hawkeyes last year 6-1 in Bloomington, but the No. 70 Hawkeyes are much improved. IU junior Rahman Smiley and senior Ricardo Jordan will face a tough task as they take on Iowa's No. 1 doubles pair of Tyler Cleveland and Stuart Waters. Cleveland and Waters are ranked No. 20 nationally in doubles play. Smiley and Jordan do have experience in defeating top-ranked opponents, marking up a victory against a tough Kansas team earlier in the season. They will look to improve on their 13-5 doubles record against the Hawkeyes. \n"We will have a heck of a match on our hands," Hydinger said. "It is not going to be the end of the world if we don't get the win, but it would definitely be nice to leave there with our first conference win of the year"