Bids open to IU at ITA Midwest Regional

This weekend, the IU women's tennis team will have a chance to prove they can play with the best teams in the \nMidwest.\nThe Hoosiers will head to the ITA Midwest Regional Oct. 20-25 in East Lansing, Mich. and were one of only three teams awarded eight spots in the tournament.\nThe ITA Midwest Regional brings the top tennis players from the region together to decide who will compete in the indoor championships, the second national championship of 2005-2006 season. Sixty-four players will compete in the qualifying singles draw, with the top eight earning spots in the main draw.\n"There's 38 teams; it's going to be a better indication of (our) team," IU head coach Lin Loring said. "Also, the new players will get to see what the region looks like and see all of the Big Ten schools."\nCompeting in the singles main draw are seniors No. 82 Sarah Batty and No. 90 Dora Vastag, junior Laura McGaffigan and sophomore Brianna Williams. Freshman Alba Berdala qualified for the singles main draw but will withdraw because of an illness. Junior Cecile Perton and freshmen Marah Calvo and Sigrid Fischer also look to compete in the qualifiers draw in hopes of earning a spot in the main draw.\nThe Hoosiers were awarded four spots in the doubles draw. Loring expects ITA All-American participants Batty and McGaffigan to have an especially good showing. The duo played well at the All-American, leading in both matches before eventual losses.\n"It should give them confidence that they can play with anyone in the country," Loring said.\nAlso competing in the doubles draw are Vastag and Williams, Perton and Berdala and Calvo and Fischer.\n"It will be a good chance to see where you stack up," Loring said. "It's a chance to see where you are at when the dual match season comes around in January"