Women’s tennis made a statement on Saturday as they defeated Western Michigan and Butler to start their season 2-0.
IU only dropped one singles set the entire day and went undefeated in doubles play. The Hoosiers took down Western Michigan, 6-1, and swept Butler, 7-0.
Junior Madison Appel and freshman Michelle McKamey, along with freshman Jelly Bozovic and sophomore Caitlin Bernard, won at the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles spots to take the doubles point and a 1-0 lead over Western Michigan.
The Hoosiers would only build on their lead in singles play.
McKamey and Bozovic wasted no time gaining two more points for IU. McKamey defeated sophomore Gabriela Slavova 6-0, 6-0, while Bozovic took down freshman Valeria Riegraf 6-2, 6-0.
The two freshmen went undefeated in singles play in the IU Winter Invitational last weekend as well. McKamey and Bozovic represent the depth that IU Coach Ramiro Azcui believes his team has.
Appel earned the fourth and match-clinching point for the Hoosiers, defeating senior Barbare Eristavi 6-4, 6-1. Appel emphatically yelled “Mine!” after winning the match point.
Junior Natalie Whalen and Bernard rounded out the scoring of the match. Whalen beat junior Melina Lyubomirova 6-4, 7-6 (7-1), and Bernard defeated Azcui’s daughter, junior Denise Azcui, 7-5, 7-5.
Azcui said it is tough on his players, his daughter and himself whenever they face Denise, but he thinks it is great for the community to see a local player return and compete against IU.
“I actually don’t watch when Denise plays her singles match against us,” Azcui said.
IU followed up its impressive morning performance with a victory against Butler later that evening.
Azcui said playing Butler was a great opportunity for the players who do not compete as much to get a chance to earn points in a dual match.
IU swept Butler without their top two singles players — Appel and Whalen.
Sophomores Pauline Jahren and Anna McCoy stepped in to play in the No. 5 and 6 singles positions.
Jahren defeated Butler sophomore Nina Bertino 6-2, 6-2. After dropping the first set, McCoy responded by winning the next two sets, defeating Butler junior Carla O’Byrne 2-6, 6-2, 1-0 (12-10).
Azcui was pleased with their performances, noting it was good to see McCoy pull through after being down early in the match.
While IU has strung together two back-to-back impressive weekends, Azcui said the best part is that they are capable of much more.
“I don’t think we are playing our best tennis yet,” Azcui said. “I don’t want them to be playing their best tennis yet.”
