Hoosiers return from layoff with 2 victories

During the week leading up to IU's first dual match event Sunday, coach Lin Loring expressed concerns about his team's readiness to play after a two-month layoff.\nTen hours and two victories later, his players proved they were up to the challenge.\nThe Hoosiers raced through their first match, defeating Miami (Ohio) in every match en route to a 7-0 victory. Western Michigan proved to be a tougher opponent for the Hoosiers. After losing two of three doubles matches to fall behind 1-0, IU came back to overpower the Broncos in singles play, winning the match 5-2. \nPlay resumed for the Hoosiers against Miami at 9:30 p.m. Sunday. IU made quick work of the Redhawks, taking only one match into a third set. The hasty finish allowed the Hoosiers a sizeable break before beginning their second match against Western Michigan later that day.\n"It was a good match in the morning," senior Laura McGaffigan said. "It was a good preparation for Western Michigan." \nThe Broncos did not have such a luxury. Not only did their first match directly precede their showdown with the Hoosiers, but it went longer than expected, pushing the start of their match with IU back an hour. \nLoring said Western Michigan's long first match gave the Hoosiers an advantage. After a competitive round of doubles, IU came back to dominate singles play, winning five of six matches. Senior Cecile Perton, sophomores Alba Berdala and Sigrid Fischer, and freshman Lindsey Stuckey all won their respective singles matches in two sets.\nJunior Brianna Williams was the last Hoosier to finish for the evening. She won her match in a tiebreak, 6-3, 6-7, 1-0 (12-10).\n"I always give my all and try to support the team," Williams said after her match. "Hopefully I gave (my teammates) a little thrill at the end."\nLoring said Williams' match was a good experience and showed good signs for the remainder of the season.\n"It's nice to know you can win a close match if you have to," he said.\nMcGaffigan, Williams' doubles partner, showed the same amount of fight in her singles match, but she came away on the losing end of her tiebreaker with Western Michigan's Kerstin Pahl, the 29th-ranked woman in the Midwest, according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. McGaffigan fell 6-2, 6-7, 1-0 (10-8), but as one of the team's two captains, she was pleased with IU's effort for the day.\n"I think our coaches did a great job of preparing us," McGaffigan said. "I was really happy with the way our team played"