Hoosiers continue Big Ten quest after upset win

Topping their first nationally-ranked opponent of the season could not have come at a better time for IU men's tennis. \nAfter knocking off six straight teams, the Hoosiers routed then-No. 39 Penn State in the first match of the Big Ten season. Now IU is riding a seven-match win streak into the weekend's matches against Wisconsin and No. 59 Northwestern.\n"In the Big Ten, every weekend is a battle," said IU coach Ken Hydinger. "This is what you're playing for. The non-conference matches aren't personal, but this gets personal. So the intensity goes up a bit."\nThe home stretch for the Hoosiers features five of the next seven conference matches in Bloomington before continuing conference competition in Minneapolis for the Big Ten Championships. Currently sitting with a 12-6 overall record and a 1-2 mark in the Big Ten, with losses to Purdue and No. 5 Illinois, IU is hoping to maintain its intensity throughout the next month. A reason for hope amongst the cream and crimson is the cohesiveness developing around the team.\n"Since the break, we've had great team unity," said sophomore Dara McLoughlin. "We're really supporting each other well and I really think it's just a team effort."\nSenior Neil Kenner, team captain -- nicknamed "Skip" by his Hoosier teammates -- echoed the same sentiment.\n"I think we're getting used to battling together," the Dallas native said. "We've been battling on an individual level, but not on a team level.\n"Spring break definitely helped out a lot. Playing five matches outside against outdoor teams -- we had to mentally and physically grind it out, so it was very important."\nWisconsin enters its match against the Hoosiers with an 8-6 overall record. All of the Badgers' eight wins have been 7-0 sweeps with its only conference win against Michigan State. Wisconsin, however, lost to the Unviersity of South Florida 5-2 earlier in the season, a team IU disposed of during its five-match Florida trip. \nWisconsin's Nolan Polley defeated IU senior Dmytro Ishtuganov and McLoughlin in the semifinals and finals respectively of the Big Ten Indoor Singles Championship in November.\nThe No. 59 Wildcats also own an 8-6 overall record and a 2-1 record in conference play. Northwestern is a battle-tested team that has played a bevy of non-conference powerhouses, including Wake Forest, Tulsa, North Carolina and Harvard. But the Wildcats share similar losses to Notre Dame and Louisville with the Hoosiers. \n"I know everyone is going to be extremely hungry," Kenner said. "The Big Ten season is always a dog fight. Anybody could beat anybody. Everybody is going to be in everybody's face. So it's going to be pretty intense."\nThe Hoosiers will face Wisconsin at 2 p.m. today, followed by a noon start Sunday against Northwestern.