ward of the court

Junior Sarah Batty wasn't the typical 17-year-old.\nBatty, without even being a legal adult, first swung a tennis racket for IU almost three years ago -- only a month and a half removed from her 17th birthday. Three years ago she found herself, at her No. 2 singles spot, one year younger than her classmates and one ocean away from her native country.\nBut she was, in more ways than one, in ready position.\n"It really wasn't that big of a deal," she said. "I kind of grew up to be pretty independent -- I traveled a lot on my own with tennis, and I was without my parents at a young age. It wasn't really a shock to me."\nRegardless of age, she has been a bastion for IU coach Lin Loring's squad for three years, playing both the No. 2 and 3 positions for her entire tenure. But in her third year, it's fairly safe to say she has blended consistency with excellence.\n"She's improved every year she's been here," Loring said. "The fact that she's been that successful being that young -- she's definitely a team leader."\nThis year, the Chesterfield, England, native has racked up successes.\nShe was recently named the Big Ten Women's Player of the Week, and currently, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association ranks her nationally at No. 100. Last week's No. 122 ranking marked the first time in her career that she earned a share of the national spotlight. She has also defeated three players in the ITA top 100 this year.\nIt doesn't stop with just singles play, as she is the only Hoosier ranked in both singles and doubles.\nBatty joins with senior Dominika Walterova to form the No. 53-ranked doubles tandem in the country. The two earned the recognition a week ago when they defeated Michigan's No. 26-ranked duo of Kara Delicata and Michelle DaCosta.\n"I think we get along really well both on and off the court," Walterova said. "She really is a lot of fun outside of the court."\nIt wasn't a fluke either. And Walterova and Batty proved it last weekend when they defeated them again -- even though the Wolverines' top two had moved up to No. 21.\nIn fact, Batty has long had their number. Batty coupled with team assistant and now-graduated Linda Tran last year to defeat the same duo by almost the same score.\n"Last year Linda helped me learn a lot about the doubles game," Batty said. "I learned a lot from all the experiences we had. I think that's helped me a lot to develop as a doubles player and kind of help my partner."\nBatty and Walterova have also given the top-ranked doubles team in the country a run for its money losing 8-6 to Northwestern's Audra Cohen and Cristelle Grier.\nPush singles and doubles aside and find that Batty succeeds in the third, and arguably most important, spectrum.\nThe IU Varsity Club presented her with Scholastic Achievement Honors -- an award given to honor and acknowledge the academic excellence of one member of each varsity sport. She and the other recipients will forever have their names etched into a plaque in the north lobby of Assembly Hall.\n"It's kind of hard (to do well in school) with tennis, especially during the spring," she said. "I kind of just try and get most of my studying done before I go away -- that kind of keeps me on track."\nWith standout performances on the tennis court and in the classroom, it's a safe bet that she won't be leaving ready position anytime soon.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Andy Romey at aromey@indiana.edu.