Dodging destructive tornadoes, IU prevails

The beginning of the weekend had the No. 64 IU men's tennis team hiding for cover from destructive tornadoes in Iowa City, Iowa. By the end of the weekend, the Hoosiers pulled to .500 in Big Ten play with wins over Iowa and No. 38 Minnesota.\nFor the first time in more than 21 years, IU defeated the Gophers, 5-2, at the Baseline Tennis Center. The last time the Hoosiers won in Minneapolis was April 6, 1985. It also was the first win over Minnesota since a 4-3 victory Feb. 21, 1997, in Bloomington. The win marked the second time this season the Hoosiers bettered a top-40 opponent on the road.\n"This win is huge for our program and really shows how the guys are fighting hard and really developing," IU coach Ken Hydinger said. "It is a big step forward for us, and given that our captain went out in doubles with an injury, it shows the resiliency of the guys to win this match. We had a number of guys step up in big situations. We have things going in the right direction, and the guys pulled it together and showed a lot of heart."\nWith senior captain Neil Kenner out of the lineup in singles because of an injury, the bottom of the Hoosier lineup stepped it up. Junior Arnaud Roussel and redshirt freshman Mak Kendall each won decisive three-set wins to propel IU to the victory. The win snapped a 13-match losing streak against the Golden Gophers. IU evened its Big Ten mark at 4-4 and increased its overall record to 15-8 in snapping a five-match winning streak for Minnesota (12-10, 6-2 Big Ten).\nBefore Saturday's historic win, the Hoosiers had earned an important victory in Iowa. On Thursday night, as the Hoosiers returned home from dinner, the players spotted a funnel cloud touch down. The team retreated to an overpass and remained under the structure for about 40 minutes -- two tornadoes were within miles of the team's location. By the end of the night, the storms blew roofs off three dormitories and a sorority house, and knocked down numerous trees and power lines.\n"It was definitely an interesting night, and I am glad we made it out alright," Hydinger said. "That was something that I have never experience in my life."\nBut the Hoosiers were not rattled. IU turned in an overpowering performance against the Hawkeyes en route to a 7-0 victory at the newly christened West Campus Tennis and Recreational Center. The match marked the first on Iowa's new courts.\nIU took the doubles point early thanks to an 8-4 win at the No. 3 spot by Kenner and sophomore Michael McCarthy. The Hoosier pair became 9-3 on the year after Minnesota's match and has now won nine of its last 10 matches. Sophomore Dara McLoughlin became the first Hoosier to win 20 matches this season with a victory at the No. 3 position.\nThe Hoosiers conclude the Big Ten season at home next weekend against No. 36 Michigan and Michigan State.