IU to host home tournament

It was an overcast, rainy, 55-degree Thursday afternoon, but the IU women's tennis team was all smiles for this weekend's home tournament.\n"I'm really excited to be playing at home this weekend," sophomore Stephanie Heller said. "It is a definite advantage for us."\nIU hosts the Hoosier Classic Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the varsity tennis courts. The Hoosiers take on seven other schools: Louisina State University, University of Kansas, Kansas State University, Mississippi State University, Murray State University, University of Georgia and Notre Dame. About 50 women participate from all the teams.\n"It's good to play some of these big schools and top teams," Heller said. "It really helps us in getting ready for the spring."\nLast weekend, the team traveled to Wake Forest University for the Wake Forest Invitational. A few individuals performed well, but IU coach Lin Loring knows there is always room for improvement.\n"In our singles matches, we need to work on not trying too hard and relaxing," Loring said. "And then for our doubles, we just have to work on doing a better job serving, mostly just getting the serves in the court."\nLoring also talked about the difference between coaching this year's team and last year's.\n"Losing Sarah (Batty), an All-American from last year, hurt us," said Loring. "However, we're just experimenting right now, trying to get our doubles teams together."\nIn pre-season tournaments, all games are individual, and no team records are taken. However, unlike most sports' off seasons, wins and losses count on the women's records once dual matches start in the spring.\n"These tournaments are good for us because they help us work on the little things," senior Cecile Perton said. "It tells us what we have to work on for the spring season"