After defeating Rutgers at home on March 16, Indiana women’s tennis had a week break before heading out west to face Oregon and Washington.
The Hoosiers looked to continue the momentum present after securing their first Big Ten win in 693 days.
The first match on the weekend docket was against Oregon. Indiana entered Friday’s match winless on the road this season while Oregon entered without a win in Big Ten play. In a match that was down to the final court, the Ducks prevailed 4-3 over the Hoosiers.
Oregon started the scoring by securing the doubles point. On the No. 2 doubles court, the duck pairing of senior Karin Young and freshman Bridget Mihulka defeated sophomore Li Hsin Lin and freshman Nicole Sifuentes 6-1.
Indiana then responded on the No. 1 doubles court where redshirt senior Lara Schneider and junior Nicole Teodosescu knocked off sophomore Tilde Jagare and freshman Juliet Santitto 6-2.
The No. 3 doubles court ultimately was the doubles point clincher. The Oregon pairing of senior Marjorie Souza and sophomore Candela Aparisi overcame a 4-2 deficit to defeat sophomores Elisabeth Dunac and Sarah L’allier 6-4.
Schneider evened the match at one for the road squad with her 6-1, 6-1 victory over Souza on the No. 1 singles court. Indiana extended its lead with Sifuentes’ 6-2, 6-2 win over Mihulka on the No. 5 singles court.
However, Oregon fought its way back with two consecutive victories, on the No. 3 singles court and the No. 4 singles court. Jagare defeated freshman Marina Fuduric 7-5, 6-3 and freshman Patsy Daughters prevailed in 3 sets over Lin.
Teodosescu kept Indiana alive in the match with her 3-set thriller over Young 2-6, 6-4, 7-5.
The deciding match was on the No. 6 singles court. In a match that was by far the most competitive, Santitto outlasted Dunac in a 3-set marathon. Dunac took the first set 6-3, then dropped the next two sets in heartbreaking fashion dropping two straight sets, while needing just one for victory. Santitto took the second set 6-4, and forced a third set tie breaker that she later prevailed in to win the set 7-6.
The win marked Oregon’s first Big Ten win and left Indiana at 0-5 on the road this season.
On Sunday, the Hoosiers traveled to Seattle to take on Washington.
Washington has been one of the top teams in the country this season and entered the contest 13-2 and ranked No. 20 in the ITA rankings. Ultimately, the Huskies defeated the Hoosiers 4-0.
The doubles point continued to be elusive for Indiana, as the Hoosiers dropped it for the fifth time in the past six matches.
On the No. 3 doubles court, senior McKenna Koenig and freshman Carina Syrtveit defeated Dunac and L’allier 6-1. The doubles point was then sealed on the No. 2 doubles court when senior Sophie Luescher and junior Erika Matsuda rolled over Lin and Sifuentes 6-3.
The singles matches were more of the same dominance from the Huskies.
Matsuda picked up a win over Teodosescu 6-3, 7-5 to extend the Washington lead to 2-0.
Washington junior Reece Carter had no trouble with Schneider, defeating her in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1. Carter is ranked No. 84 in the ITA rankings in her junior season for the Huskies.
The match was then sealed with Syrtveit’s straight set, 6-2, 7-5 win over Dunac on the No. 6 singles court.
The loss dropped Indiana to 7-10 overall and 1-6 in the Big Ten this season.
The Hoosiers have a chance to bounce back at noon Saturday at the IU Tennis Center in Bloomington, when they host No. 3 Michigan.
