Hoosiers look to snap Tennessee trend

Streaks aren’t new to the IU women’s tennis team, but a win Saturday at No. 22 Tennessee (4-1) would create a Hoosier streak that hasn’t existed in a while.\nIU started its season with eight consecutive wins. Then a trip to Tobacco Road resulted in back-to-back losses against highly-ranked teams. After a home win against No. 21 Kentucky last Sunday, the No. 29 Hoosiers (9-2) will look to begin building another winning streak this weekend, but history is not on their side.\nBeginning with Tennessee’s 7-0 home victory against IU in 2003, the two schools have alternated wins, with each match going to the home team. Last year, the Hoosiers beat the Lady Volunteers in Bloomington by a score of 5-2, but IU coach Lin Loring said his team will have to elevate its play to win in Knoxville.\n“We haven’t had a lot of success at Tennessee,” he said. “We’ll have to play the best match we’ve played so far.”\nThough Tennessee has held an edge in the rankings over the past few years, the Hoosiers have held their ground in the series, and junior Brianna Williams said she expects another close match this weekend.\n“They’re just really good competition,” she said. “It’s always been kind of an even match up.” \nWilliams added that despite what each team has done during the season, the IU-Tennessee matches are still won by whichever team plays the best on that day.\nIn order to break the trend of alternating wins, the Hoosiers will need to both adjust to Tennessee’s court and out-play the team that Loring said is the second-best team on IU’s schedule thus far behind No. 7 North Carolina. As with all road matches, the team’s ability to get accustomed to both the speed of the different courts and the fatigue involved in traveling will be crucial in determining IU’s chance of winning, Loring said. The doubles combination of Williams and senior Laura McGaffigan won the last time the Hoosiers visited Knoxville, and McGaffigan said going on the road won’t be as big of an issue as it may seem.\nIU’s last match at Tennessee was played indoors, and Loring said he had been assured early this week that the same would be true Saturday, despite the recent rise in temperature. With weather out of the picture this weekend, Loring said he can get an accurate gauge of his team’s strengths and weaknesses.\n“Normally (playing on the road) brings out the worst in you,” he said. “It shows you the things you still need to work on in practice.” \nWin or lose, the Hoosiers will build on at least one streak this weekend. A loss would extend Tennessee’s current win streak to five as well as add to IU’s stretch of consecutive losses in Knoxville. A win, however, would put the Hoosiers on their second winning streak of the season.\n“I’m really excited,” McGaffigan said. “It should be a great match.”