IU upsets No. 10 Tennessee at home

Facing 15 ranked opponents in one season, with eight coming against top-25 teams, seems like a daunting task to most. \nBut IU women's tennis coach Lin Loring uses the grueling schedule to prepare for the tough competition his players will face down the road.\nAnd this past Saturday, Loring's squad came away with more than valuable experience in a 4-3 upset over No. 10 Tennessee.\nThe Vols arrived in Bloomington fresh off an impressive showing at the Freeman Memorial Champion-ships, but got a rude awakening when the IU team had an answer for each of Tennessee's heavy hitters.\nThe morning began in IU's favor, when the No. 24 doubles tandem of seniors Karie Schlukebir and Linda Tran made quick work of the No. 50 doubles team, Tammy Encina and Majen Immink, 8-1.\nBut it would be the only doubles victory for the Hoosiers. Tennessee took the doubles point in winning two close matches. The Volunteer duo of Melissa Schaub and Breanna Kray downed junior Dora Vastag and freshman Laura McGaffigan, 8-6, in a match that could have gone either way. Long rallies and aggressive net play set the tone, as the deciding doubles match grew equally as close.\n"We knew no matter who we were playing we could be competitive in every position," Loring said. "The doubles was really important for momentum, but it is really only one of seven points. Our singles-play made up for the close loss in doubles."\nIn a match making the previous one slow, by comparison, seniors Martina Grimm and sophomore Sarah Batty battled a tough team of Sabita Maharaj and Ashley Robards in a 7-9 defeat, surrendering the doubles point to the Vols. In a match filled with teamwork on both sides of the net, Tennessee took the momentum into singles-play while the Hoosiers had to rest, refocus and respond.\nAnd IU proved they could do just that -- showing their depth and experience by winning four of six singles matches, and the overall match, 4-3.\nPlaying the No. 1 singles position for the Hoosiers, Vastag had a formidable opponent in the No. 13 ranked Encina. After dropping the first set 4-6, Vastag reloaded and surged past her top-25 opponent 6-2, 6-3. Her three-set win was one of two the Hoosiers needed to capture the upset.\nThe junior transfer has made the transition from one program to another as easily as possible. The Okemos, Mich., native said the level of coaching and team camaraderie has enabled her to step right in as a solid No. 1 player.\n"The coaching (at IU) I think is the best in the Big Ten," Vastag said. "This program has such a good reputation, and since I already knew some of the girls on the team, it has been easy to fit right in."\nAlso winning singles points for IU were McGaffigan, Schlukebir and Batty. Schlukebir defeated Immink in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4 and McGaffigan downed Tennessee's No. 4 player, Blakeley Griffith, 6-3, 6-3. Batty won the decisive match for IU, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.\n"During the fall season, everyone seemed to keep getting better," Tran said of her team's improvement over the past few months. "It's certainly carried over, and we're really excited about playing this spring."\nThe upset moves Loring's Hoosiers to 3-0, with a long road trip ahead of them. On Saturday, IU travels to take on the University of the Pacific in a tune-up for No. 19 Arizona State Sunday. The Hoosiers look to continue their win streak at 11 a.m. in Tempe, Ariz.\n-- Contact staff writer Jeff Fuldauer at jfuldaue@indiana.edu.