Team travels to challenge state rival

After a brief yet successful stint at home, the women's tennis team travels to West Lafayette to challenge Purdue at 10 a.m. Sunday at the Lafayette Sports Center.\nIU (10-6, 1-2 Big Ten) brings the momentum of a three-game winning streak to a series that has never been overly competitive. Purdue (3-10, 0-3 Big Ten) has been on the losing side 40 out of the 41 times the Hoosiers and Boilermakers have tangled. \n"No matter what the record says, it's always a good match," coach Lin Loring said. "I have a lot of respect for them and their coach."\nNo. 2 singles player Amanda Field, a junior, said she is cautious.\n"It is always tough to play Purdue," Field said. "Even though we have beaten them the past two years I have been here, they always come out playing great against us, because they always want to beat IU. I think if we prepare for them to come out playing their best, we will be fine."\nSeniors Erika Quebe and Lisa Walgenbach lead a balanced Purdue team that plays two juniors, two sophomores and two freshmen. Quebe has been playing No. 1 singles, while Walgenbach is at the No. 5 position. Purdue is trying to halt a five-match losing streak. \nSo far, IU and Purdue have played the same Big Ten teams this season: Iowa, Illinois and Northwestern. Purdue has fallen in all three, while IU's lone win came against Iowa. \n"It's a match that, on paper, we should win," Loring said. "And a lot of times, in tennis, the team that should win usually does. In basketball, a player can shoot the lights out and carry their team to an upset. If a player has a great win and an upset in tennis, its only worth one point."\nThe Hoosiers find themselves at a pivotal point in their schedule. Purdue is the first of many upcoming conference matches that could make or break this team.\n"After losing to the preseason choices for the two best teams in the conference (Illinois and Northwestern), a win against Purdue would be really good to get us off on the right foot against the rest of the Big Ten," Loring said. "That would pull us even at 2-2 in the Big Ten, with the rest to go"