IU looking for new winning streak

The men's tennis team's winning streak has come to a small bump in its road. IU lost last weekend's match to No. 26 Vanderbilt 7-0, its first loss of the season. The team will try to get back on the winning side of things 1 p.m. today when it travels to Muncie to square off against Ball State.\nIU holds a 35-7 record against Ball State, and a 14-4 record against them in Muncie. The Hoosiers have won the last seven matches, and the odds are in the Hoosiers' favor. The team's attitude remains positive. \n"We've been focusing on problems we were having first semester," sophomore Ryan Recht said. "We've been focusing on our weaknesses and making them strengths."\nThe Hoosiers have only one loss out of eight matches this season. The team started out their 2002 season unranked, but since then they have steadily climbed up the polls. IU is currently No. 40 in the nation after defeating No. 27 Notre Dame and No. 37 Middle Tennessee State on Jan. 24 and Jan. 26, respectively. \nBall State is currently ranked No. 74 but has had its share of upsetting other ranked teams. They recently upset No. 48 Purdue in Muncie 4-3. BSU won all three of the doubles matches to get the go-ahead doubles point.\nBall State is 3-2 against the Big Ten this season after defeating Michigan State, Purdue and Wisconsin. The Cardinals defeated the Badgers 5-2. IU has also faced Wisconsin this year, also winning the match 5-2.\nIU's strategy through every match this season has been to win the double's point, something it failed to do against Vanderbilt. But nothing will faze the team this year. \n"I feel we can go in there and do what we've been doing," interim coach Matthew Pledger said.