With top player out, others 'will need to step up'

As the women's tennis team prepares for today's match against Notre Dame, it hopes to end its three match losing streak. The Hoosiers (8-10, 0-4 Big Ten) will be taking on Notre Dame (11-7), who have a 5-1 record against Big Ten opponents.\nSenior Karie Schlukebir, who is part of the top doubles team and is the third position for singles, will be sitting out because of injuries.\n"(Junior) Martina Grimm is playing well, and she will have to step up," coach Lin Loring said. "We need everyone to step up, though, for us to beat Notre Dame."\nBecause of injuries, junior Linda Tran has moved up to the first position in singles, and freshman Sarah Batty has taken the second singles position. At the top singles position, Tran is looking forward to competing against Notre Dame junior Caylan Leslie.\n"Caylan is a tough player. I know her from playing her in the juniors," Tran said. "She is just getting back from a shoulder injury so I don't know how she is playing from the last time I saw her, but I am sure she will come out fighting." \nNotre Dame is 11-7 this season with 15 matches against ranked opponents. The Hoosiers have a similar schedule with Notre Dame, sharing eight opponents. IU has a 1-7 record against these eight opponents while the Irish are 4-4. \nIU is 11-6 all-time against the Irish and beat the then-No. 13 Irish team last year in South Bend 5-2. \nEven though the Hoosiers have lost three straight, they have not changed their preparation.\n"We have been playing a lot of tennis recently," Batty said. "We have continued to work on our individual match play and concentrated a lot on making the right shot selection."\nLoring said that health has been the team's biggest concern, not necessarily preparation.\n"Getting our injured players healthy will come with time," Loring said. "In the meantime, we just have to play one match at a time."\nThe Hoosiers have faced a difficult schedule thus far. Eight of their 10 losses this season have come against ranked opponents. The schedule does not get easier, with four of the team's final seven matches coming against opponents ranked in the top 40.\nThe match will begin at the outdoor varsity tennis courts at 2:30 p.m. today.