Hoosiers get rematch with Badgers in Big Ten Tournament

IU Coach Lin Loring was disappointed after the match against Wisconsin on April 15, saying it was a match that got away from the Hoosiers.

“Wisconsin’s a match we should have won,” Loring said. “We lost three three-setters and should have won the doubles point. But like I said, if something could go wrong, it did.”

Indiana (15-10, 4-7) will look to redeem its worst loss of the the year as it plays Wisconsin (12-11, 3-8) at 2 p.m. today. The Big Ten Tournament will take place in Columbus, Ohio, at the Ohio State Tennis Complex.

The No. 7-seed Hoosiers will play the No. 10-seed Badgers in a rematch of the April 15 contest in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.

“We’re going to play Wisconsin again,” Loring said. “I think the kids are excited about another shot at Wisconsin because I think we played one bad match all year, and that was it.”

The second match between these two teams will be merely 11 days after Wisconsin took the win on its home court. The final score that day was 5-2 in the Badgers’ favor.

Indiana lost the doubles point when junior Leslie Hureau and freshman Shannon Murdy lost the deciding match 8-6.

Since Murdy was inserted into the doubles lineup with Hureau on March 23, they have gone 7-2 together and were up 6-5 against a Michigan tandem when the match was called early.

In the April 15 match against Wisconsin, three singles matches went into three sets, and the Badgers won all three.

Indiana will benefit from having its No. 4 player back in singles action. The first time these two teams met, freshman Carolyn Chupa was out with an injury.

Chupa played in the Hoosiers’ match against Northwestern this Sunday and will have a greater chance of being healthy for the upcoming match.

Also, there is potential for bragging rights at the family dinner table, as Carolyn’s sister Angela Chupa plays doubles for the Badgers.

The Hoosiers are in the midst of their worst losing streak of the season. They have lost their past five matches and been outscored 28-7 in total team points.

Despite their recent slide, lone senior Evgeniya Vertesheva, who will play in her last Big Ten Tournament this weekend, said she thinks the scores are not indicative of how they have played recently.

“I think the last couple of matches, we’ve put up a good fight against some of the top teams in the Big Ten,” Vertesheva said. “I feel we should be confident going into the tournament because on any given day, we can beat anyone.”

The fact that Wisconsin will not have home-court advantage this time proves to be vital for the team, Loring said.

“This is a team we should beat,” Loring said. “Minnesota/Wisconsin is just a tough road trip. It would be a good way to end the season if we could reverse that loss to Wisconsin. We’re looking forward to it.”