It’s a crucial weekend for the IU women’s tennis team as the Hoosiers have the opportunity to play their way into the Big Ten Tournament.
With only 10 spots available in the conference tournament and the Hoosiers sitting in 10th out of 14 teams, there are just two matches left for them to secure their spot in Champaign, Illinois, on April 27.
The pressure starts Friday, when the Hoosiers will be in Columbus, Ohio, to take on the No. 5-ranked team in the nation, the 23-2 Ohio State Buckeyes.
The Buckeyes have beaten every Big Ten team they’ve played this season, and seven of those wins were 7-0 sweeps.
The Hoosiers know they are in for a challenge, but IU Coach Ramiro Azcui said the team is excited.
Senior Kim Schmider and sophomore Madison Appel are currently ranked No. 41 among NCAA doubles teams. The duo has the chance to knock off OSU’s No. 19 team of Francesca Di Lorenzo and Miho Kawase.
“They talked to me the other day and they are really excited about this opportunity,” Azcui said of Schmider and Appel. “They have always stepped it up when they get a chance like this and they know they have nothing to lose.”
Appel will also battle Di Lorenzo, the No. 1 singles player in the country, in another key matchup at the No. 1 singles position.
A loss to Ohio State won’t knock IU out of the tournament, because the determining match is on Sunday at Penn State at 11 a.m.
Penn State sits right behind IU in the standings in 11th place. The Hoosiers are 3-6 in the conference and the Nittany Lions are 2-7. If the two teams square off while tied or still within one game of each other in the standings, the winner will clinch a tournament spot.
Senior Paula Gutierrez, along with Azcui, said the team is looking to use the match against Ohio State to get ready for the match against Penn State.
“Penn State is a really aggressive team,” Gutierrez said. “We need to be consistent and make sure we get the doubles point.”
The Nittany Lions have lost their last six matches, but it is their senior day, and they have five seniors on the roster.
Azcui said it’s going to be an emotional day for them and his team will have to be prepared for whatever happens.
Azcui assured his team as they head into the match against Penn State by telling his players this will not be their last match.
