IU star named Player of the Week

Katya Zapadalova not only dominates singles and doubles for IU, but she is also taking over the Big Ten.

The Big Ten named Zapadalova, a sophomore on the No. 30-ranked tennis squad, their Player of the Week Tuesday.

“I think it’s big,” Zapadalova said. “It’s really nice when they say stuff like that. Everyone played very well. We all won our matches. I think it’s more like a team victory.”

She went 4-0 in last week’s double-header in both singles and doubles. She defeated Marquette’s Paola Calderon 6-4, 6-3 and Ball State’s Sarah Hebble 6-4, 6-4.

She also paired with senior Alba Berdala in the No. 1 doubles position. The tandem went 8-6 against Marquette while dominating Ball State, 8-1.

“Katya hits the ball big off of both sides,” IU coach Lin Loring said. “That’s probably her strength – that she can hit a winner off both her forehand and backhand. She can be a dangerous player because of that.”

With solid shots and a strong mental attitude, Loring said the Russian native has contributed to the team’s 4-0 start.

“She’s playing No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles, so even if she doesn’t win, it pushes everyone else down the lineup,” Loring said. “Your top players are always key components in your lineup.”

Being a competitor is nothing new for Zapadalova.

“I was a little kid so I would spend time on the tennis courts or on the basketball field,” Zapadalova said. “I was always doing something.”

Born to a father who played for the Russian national junior basketball team and a mother who was on the Russian national gymnastic team, Zapadolva grew up competing.

“It helped me to develop my skills,” she said. “It’s helping me right now. My mom and my dad like to compete, and I think that’s what I have right now. I like to compete. It definitely is great to have such parents, especially because they always understand how it feels to win and to lose.”