Indiana women’s tennis extended its losing streak to four matches after three straight losses over spring break. The Hoosiers suffered two defeats to Big Ten foes Minnesota and Wisconsin and another against Loyola Marymount University.
Following its lopsided loss to Iowa on March 2, Indiana looked to rebound against a Minnesota squad touting a 7-5 record. Entering the match, the Hoosiers had not beaten Minnesota at home since the 2017-18 season.
The doubles matches began with successive large victories as Indiana took No. 1 doubles 6-1 and Minnesota responded with a 6-2 No. 2 doubles victory. With all to play for in the final match, the freshmen tandem of Sarah L'allier and Li Hsin Lin mustered a nail-biting victory, 7-6 (10-8), capturing the doubles point for the Hoosiers.
With the doubles point secured, Indiana jumped out to a quick lead in the singles matches, but a 6-3, 6-1 domination from freshman Magdalena Swierczynska was offset by a 6-3, 6-3 defeat for freshman Elisabeth Dunac. Graduate student Lene Mari Hovda put Indiana back on track with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 win, bringing the Hoosiers within touching distance of their first Big Ten victory.
However, Hovda’s victory would be the last of the day for Indiana, as it suffered three consecutive defeats. Sophomore Nicole Teodosescu forced a third set, but two close set losses led to her 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 defeat. L'allier followed suit with a split across the first two sets, but sophomore Sofia Pizzoni handled the Hoosier with relative ease, snatching a 5-7, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2 victory.
The decisive match fell to court No. 3 – a battle between Lin and sophomore Aiva Schmitz. A 7-5 first set victory for Schmitz preceded a 7-6 (7-4) win for Lin. The third set followed the trends of the match as both players traded blows until the very end. Ultimately, Schmitz grabbed the set 7-5 while also clinching the 4-3 comeback victory for Minnesota.
Still searching for its first Big Ten victory of the season, Indiana hosted No. 24 Wisconsin in the second matchup of the weekend. The Badgers entered the day with a six-game winning streak and only two losses on the season, both against top 20 opponents.
Wisconsin made quick work of Indiana in the doubles matches, claiming the point after 6-4 and 6-2 victories on the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles courts, respectively.
The singles matches were much the same for Wisconsin – three quick wins catapulted the Badgers to the matchup win. Swierczynska was the only Hoosier able to provide a victory, defeating Wisconsin freshman Kája Jacobson 3-6, 6-1, 10-7, but the scoreline ultimately ended 6-1 in favor of the Badgers.
Coming off back-to-back Big Ten defeats, Indiana traveled to Los Angeles for a matchup against Loyola Marymount, the first meeting between the programs.
The No. 1 doubles pairing of Teodosescu and redshirt junior Lara Schneider achieved another painless doubles match victory — the 6-2 win brought the pair’s record to 2-0 over the three games and 6-1 on the season. That proved to be the only success story for Indiana in the doubles matches as Loyola Marymount won a pair of 6-4 matches and gained a 1-0 advantage.
Indiana’s woes continued as Dunac and graduate student Saby Nihalani both suffered straight set defeats, losing 6-0, 6-3 and 6-4, 6-3, respectively. The Hoosiers’ fate was sealed when Schneider was forced to retire in the second set, and Loyola Marymount claimed a 4-0 victory.
Still on the quest for its first Big Ten triumph, Indiana has two conference opponents over the weekend. The Hoosiers host No. 11 Ohio State (8-6) on Saturday, March 23, and Penn State (2-9) on Sunday, March 24.
Follow reporter Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates through the Indiana women’s tennis season.
