The IU women’s tennis team found comfort in the friendly confines of the IU Tennis Center during its 6-2 start to the season over the last four weeks. Maybe too much comfort.
In its first time playing away from home in 2019, IU lost to University of Tennessee 5-2 on Friday before being swept 7-0 by No. 23 University of Kentucky on Sunday.
The weekend began 11 a.m. Friday in Knoxville, Tennessee, where the Hoosiers and Volunteers battled it out.
IU struggled early on, as No. 1 and 2 doubles fell to Tennessee 6-1 and 6-2, respectively. Sophomore Michelle McKamey and freshman Somer Henry trailed 5-4 at No. 3 doubles when the Volunteers clinched the first point.
Sophomore Jelly Bozovic fought hard for a 7-6 third set win, capped off by an 8-6 tiebreak, at No. 4 singles. Senior Natalie Whalen was two games away from a win at No. 2 singles before her competition retired. At No. 1, 3, 5 and 6 singles, IU lost in straight sets.
The 5-2 loss to Tennessee pushed IU’s record to 6-3, but also instilled a sense of urgency in the team. The Hoosiers would be on the road two days later in a similar environment against a higher-ranked team, and another loss would put the team at 6-4.
The Wildcats are already a tough out as they just surged into the top 25 of the Oracle/ITA Division I Women’s Rankings, but they also historically provide challenges for the Hoosiers. IU’s last win over Kentucky was in 2014.
In the first half of play, senior Madison Appel and Bozovic took the win at No. 1 doubles 6-2, but the Wildcats won at No. 2 and 3 to take the doubles point and the early 1-0 lead.
From there on, Kentucky brought that same relentlessness in singles and never looked back. The Wildcats won at all six singles spots in straight sets, making it the first time all season the Hoosiers failed to win one set at singles as a team.
IU returns home next weekend to play Princeton University and DePaul University in hopes of erasing its current two-game losing streak. The Hoosiers will play these matches 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at the IU Tennis Center.
