Top competition visits for Hoosier Classic

The fall tournament rolls on today for the IU women's tennis team as the squad takes on some of the top talent in the nation as it holds the Hoosier Classic.\nThe Cream and Crimson began their season with an impressive showing at the Bronco Invitational. They hope to ride that momentum as seven teams look to topple the Hoosiers on their home courts. This weekend Eastern Michigan, Iowa, Kansas State, Louisville, LSU, Missouri and Murray State combine for fierce individual competition.\nSimilar to the Bronco Invitational, the first of the fall season events, the Hoosier Classic, differs from spring dual match play in that no team scoring takes place. Individuals compete with the focus of preparation, as grueling conference play begins in February.\nThe Hoosiers powerhouse doubles team of seniors Karie Schlukebir and Linda Tran return to action this weekend after an impressive showing in Kalamazoo, Mich., two weeks ago. The dominating duo enters the weekend's competition as the No. 28 doubles team in the country, according to the International Tennis Association's pre-season rankings. The Cream and Crimson tandem made a strong run in the Bronco Invitational, being one of three Hoosier doubles teams to advance to the semifinals.\nCoach Lin Loring was especially pleased with the doubles play, by far the strongest aspect of the 2003 squad.\n"We had a great tournament two weeks ago," Loring said. "Our doubles played especially well. Our top two teams were 10-0, and we played well in singles, too. So we're very pleased with where we are at this point in the season."\nTran and Schlukebir contributed to the singles success as well. Tran won her quarterfinal match 2-6, 6-4, 1-0 (5) over No. 57 Tiffany Eklov of Illinois, before falling to Eastern Michigan's Victoria Domina in the semifinals of flight "A". While Schlukerbir advanced in defeating Western Michigan's Carrie Jeanmaire, 7-6, 6-3.\n"I thought we played really well, but we still have to focus on a few things this weekend," Schlukerbir said. "Obviously we're out here cheering everyone else on, but everyone needs to focus on getting better individually."\nThere were lots of positives to take from their first tournament, but the squad knows there is still plenty of work to be done.\n"We need to continue with what we did a couple weekends ago," Tran said. "But we want to get better with every single tournament this fall, before the regular season rolls around."\nRounding out the trio of seniors is Martina Grimm, who is riding momentum off her doubles semifinal win. Grimm and sophomore Sarah Batty defeated Western Michigan's Frederika Girsang and Valeria Stoilova, 8-5. In the 2002-2003 season, Grimm led the team in singles victories, picking up a career high 23 wins en route to earning Academic All-Big Ten honors.\nAfter opening their collegiate careers, freshman Laura McGaffigan, Kara Zeder and Cecile Perton look to continue their winning ways in their first home court competition. Zeder opened up her first season as a Hoosier by defeating Illinois' Leila Cehajic 7-6, 6-0 in the singles flight "C" final, while McGaffigan downed Illini Brianna Knue in three sets.\n"The freshmen are doing great," Loring said. "My expectations of them are high, and I thought they played very well in Michigan a few weeks ago."\nThe Hoosier Classic kicks off this morning at the Varsity Tennis courts, with the finals wrapping up Sunday.\n-- Contact staff writer Jeff Fuldauer at jfuldaue@indiana.edu.