Hoosiers open Big Ten season with home win

The IU women's tennis team earned its 10th win of the season in its Big Ten opener Sunday against Penn State, winning 6-1. On Saturday at the Indiana Tennis Center, the Hoosiers fell to No. 6 North Carolina, 5-2.\nAfter failing to win a match point against No. 5 Notre Dame, No. 27 IU (10-4 overall, 1-0 conference) proved it had learned a thing or two about competing with top teams versus UNC.\n"I think Notre Dame definitely helped get us ready for these guys," IU coach Lin Loring said.\nAfter dropping the doubles point for only the third time this season, the Hoosiers played some of their more inspired singles tennis of the season.\nNo. 2 singles player Laura McGaffigan claimed her first victory of the season over a ranked opponent 6-3, 6-2, defeating UNC's Caitlin Collins (No. 56).\n"I knew she was going to be a good player and I didn't really have anything to lose, so I just went out swinging," McGaffigan said.\nThe Hoosiers tied the match with freshman Sigrid Fischer's win at the No. 5 spot. Fischer salvaged a tight first set, 7-5, against the Tar Heels' Meg Fanjoy before claiming the second set 6-2. \nWith Fischer's win, the match became knotted at two apiece, while the matches at No. 1, No. 4 and No. 6 singles all entered decisive third sets.\nSenior Sarah Batty faced her sixth ranked opponent of the season in UNC's Jenna Long at the No. 1 spot. Batty claimed the first set, but dropped the next two, losing 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. Sophomore Alba Berdala fought back to force a third set at No. 4 singles. The Tar Heels' Austin Smith prevailed, however, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.\nDespite the match being decided, IU's No. 6 singles player Cecile Perton continued to compete. She seized the second set, but eventually fell 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.\n"Overall, I'm pleased with the way we competed," Loring said. "That's the best we've played a top-20 team -- let alone a top-10 team."\nAgainst Penn State, the Hoosiers took control from the start and never looked back, rolling to a 6-1 victory. The No. 1 doubles team of Batty and McGaffigan won its match 8-4, improving its record to 11-3 on the season. \n"I think we came out pretty strong," Batty said. "We knew we were a better team going into the match, it was just a matter of coming out and playing at the level we can play."\nFischer continued her steady play with a straight-set win, 6-2, 6-1. She boasts the best singles record on the team at 11-3.\nAt No. 3 singles, sophomore Brianna Williams barely broke a sweat in her 6-1, 6-0 victory.\n"Brianna and Sigrid did especially well because (Penn State) has been winning at the three, four and five positions," Loring said. "It was a good start to the Big Ten season"