Indiana took its first road trip of the spring season Tuesday to take on the University of Kentucky, but fell short in a 4-0 loss.
Both teams came into the match with win streaks under their names, with Kentucky on an eight-match win streak and Indiana on a five-match win streak. Tuesday’s loss marked the first time Indiana was shut out this season.
“The tone of the match was set in the doubles,” head coach Ramiro Azcui said. “They came so aggressive and so loud that I think it just really pushed us on our defensive mode the rest of the day. We were just kind of responding to what they were doing as well. They came very aggressive, very aggressive.”
To start off the day, the first singles match seemed to be going in favor of the Hoosiers. Sophomore Laura Masic took the first set against senior Carla Girbau winning 6-3, but her success ended there as the match was called to go unfinished.
The rest of the day dwindled down from there as Indiana didn't win any other match while also having three matches called unfinished. Indiana lost all five of the matches it played without winning a single set.
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“The energy and being able to add that aggressive style that they really tried to control,” Azcui said. “You got to be able to match that from the very beginning and I don't think we were, even though we told the team, I don't think they were prepared and I wasn't prepared.”
Several Hoosiers saw their matches called as “unfinished,” resulting in four total incomplete matches. Masic wasn't allowed to finish the first singles match, and junior Rose Hu and sophomore Sayda Hernandez also didn't play their singles. Later in the day, one of the three doubles matches was also ruled as “unfinished,” meaning juniors Alexandra Staiculescu and Mila Mejic did not compete.
The Hoosiers have now lost five straight matches against the Wildcats, dating all the way back since 2016.
The loss was Indiana’s second of the season, previously falling to the University of Utah on Jan. 30. Indiana is now 5-2 record.
Indiana will travel to take on the University of Tennessee for its second away match in a row at 11 a.m. on Feb. 19 in Knoxville, Tennessee.
