Hoosiers set to host Michigan in home finale

Sunday afternoon, seniors Laura McGaffigan and Cecile Perton will play their final match in Bloomington.\nThe senior co-captains of the IU women’s tennis team have been staples in the team’s lineup since their freshman year, and their importance on and off the court has continued to grow. \nDuring their careers, they’ve welcomed several new teammates and said goodbye to many others. But after Sunday’s match against No. 25 Michigan, Perton and McGaffigan will be the ones bidding farewell to their home fans.\nSunday is not the end of the seniors’ collegiate tennis careers, though. Next week, the No. 27 Hoosiers will head to the Big Ten championships before competing in the NCAA tournament in early May. \nStill, Sunday’s home finale is the start of the metaphoric final lap for the co-captains, and the nearing end of the season brought a frown to Perton’s face.\n“I don’t want it to end,” she said. “I’ve been playing tennis all my life, so I don’t even want to think about it right now.”\nTennis brought Perton from France and McGaffigan from Iowa to Bloomington, but after four years, the friendships they’ve made with their teammates are perhaps what makes senior day so emotional.\n“I’ll definitely miss my teammates more than anything,” Perton said. “They’re more than teammates, they’re friends.”\nIU coach Lin Loring said the team will miss the seniors as well. This year, IU had its first 8-0 start since the 2002 season, and a win Saturday at home against Penn State would clinch at least the No. 3 seed in the conference championships. Without the leadership of the co-captains, Loring said the Hoosiers wouldn’t have achieved the same level of success this season, but the team will miss them more off the courts.\n“They’re just such great team members,” he said. “They care about their teammates and they’ve always brought about what’s best for the team.”\nMcGaffigan had the team’s interests in mind during practice Wednesday afternoon, remaining focused on the importance of this weekend’s match more so than sentiments. She did say that if emotions were to come into play Sunday, they would benefit rather than hamper the team.\nMcGaffigan said she feels it’s still too early to think about the end of her career as a Hoosier, but she did reflect on it to this point.\n“It’s been a great experience,” she said.\nIU will take on Penn State at 10 a.m. Saturday before their home finale against Michigan at 10 a.m. Sunday. Senior day ceremonies follow that match, and both events will be held at the Varsity Tennis Courts.