Indiana women’s tennis took two wins this past weekend, the team didn't look back and defeated Butler 6-1 on Wednesday night in another home match at the IU Tennis Center.
The win marked the Hoosiers’ 14th straight victory over the Bulldogs and their third win in a row. The Hoosiers haven’t lost in almost 15 years against their in-state rival and have never lost under Head Coach Ramiro Azcui.
“To play an in-state rival like Butler, a very good team, they competed really well,” Azcui said of his players. “I was pleased that we were able to come up with a win because it was a tough challenge.”
Indiana secured the doubles point to start Tuesday’s match and take the early lead. It was the second match in a row in which the Hoosiers took the doubles point early, with the other coming in their 5-2 victory over Marquette University on Sunday.
Led by redshirt freshman Lara Schneider and sophomore Laura Masic, Indiana took the first doubles match with a 6-3 win. Shortly after the first doubles match, the duo of Indiana junior Mila Mejic and junior Alexandra Staiculescu won their match 6-1 against Butler junior Logan White and senior Sara Linn to clinch the doubles point for the Hoosiers.
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A total of three doubles matches were played but the final one was called unfinished. Indiana juniors Rose Hu and Lexi Kubas played sophomore Veronika Bruetting and freshman Norah Balthazor from Butler and finished the first set with a score of 2-4 before the stoppage.
“I'm really proud of the effort.” Azcui said. “I didn't know if we were going to be ready after a tough weekend of competition because we're not used to playing in the middle of the week. I challenged them, and I think they just accepted the challenge and were able to play really well.”
Things seemed to stay on track for the Hoosiers, as they ultimately won five out of the six single matches. Five different Hoosiers were able to capture a win in the singles competition allowing Indiana to add five more points to the score.
Azcui said the top of Indiana’s singles lineup has done a good job of starting out strong, but stressed the importance of the middle of the lineup carrying that momentum over.
“Alex is providing such great energy for the team,” Azcui said. “She's doing a great job counting on the point. I think Mila is really stepping up, and she's undefeated so far this spring. So, again, all those factors are just making us stronger.”
Although the season has just kicked off, Indiana has already surpassed its win total from the 2021 spring season. Due to COVID-19 protocols, the Hoosiers only were allowed to play against teams in the Big Ten last season and recorded just one win.
Indiana is now 3-1 and will look to extend its three-game win streak at the Bloomington Invitational this weekend. The Hoosiers are set for two games on Saturday against Western Michigan University and Bellarmine University.
