Hoosiers start conference action

After two tough spring break road losses to close out the pre-conference season, coach Lin Loring's Hoosiers round out the last two games of a four-match road stretch with their Big Ten season openers against Wisconsin and Northwestern.\nIU hits the road again this weekend to take on Wisconsin and No. 6 Northwestern.\nAfter dropping closely contested matches to No. 18 Texas A&M and No. 40 Texas Christian, the Hoosiers (8-5) have slipped in the rankings to No. 32 as they look to challenge two of the Big Ten's top teams. \n"Eight and five is ok, but we could be 11-2." senior captain Karie Schlukebir said. "The number doesn't matter too much though." \nIU first takes on the Badgers Saturday morning. For Wisconsin, it will be the first home match since Feb. 2. The Badgers are 7-7 (0-1 Big Ten), 4-4 at home this spring.\nBut in the all-time series between the Hoosiers and Badgers, IU holds the overwhelming advantage, with the Hoosiers sporting a 33-9 record. But playing on the road has plagued IU, losers of three straight and four of six away from the IU Tennis Center.\nFellow senior captain Linda Tran said they need to be a little concerned after a 2-4 road start but that as the season continues and they play more outside, road wins will come.\n"Playing outdoors at Texas was a little harder," Tran said. "The first match was hard. It was at night. They had a big crowd out, and it got to some of our girls. "\nHowever, IU's hard times haven't affected its individual rankings. When the ITA released its player rankings, the Hoosiers still had three players recognized among the best in the nation. Senior Martina Grimm, junior Dora Vastag and sophomore Sarah Batty held their top 50 rankings.\nVastag, IU's No. 1 singles player, jumped in the singles rankings to No. 39. Working her way to an 8-4 spring record, 13-6 overall, Vastag looks to improve on an already stellar 2004 resume. Three of her four losses this spring were at the hands of opponents ranked in the top 20. Vastag's biggest test this weekend will be against No. 3 Cristelle Grier of Northwestern and Wisconsin's Katie McGaffigan.\nHolding their position at No. 38, Grimm and Batty continued to be ranked in doubles after an impressive spring season. The tandem, 8-3 on the season, began with a tough loss to then No. 10 Tennessee before rebounding with key wins against nationally ranked Duke, Kentucky and Notre Dame. \nThe doubles point, which has given IU trouble in the past, will be key to starting the match off with some much needed momentum. In their road losses, only the Hoosiers have dropped the doubles point in every match except one. \nThe road to the Big Ten championships begin for the Hoosiers at 11 a.m. Saturday in Madison, Wisc., before their Sunday showdown with Northwestern 24 hours later.\n-- Contact staff writer Jeff Fuldauer at jfuldaue@indiana.edu.