The IUS Women’s Tennis Team was defeated by the University of Southern Indiana by a score of 5-4 on Saturday, Sept. 11.

IU Southeast went up against USI in three doubles games and six singles games.

The Grenadiers started strong by winning two out of three doubles games but were not able to win the three singles games needed to win the match.

In the end, USI came out on top with an 8-5 doubles game win and four singles wins.

The home contest was the official season-opener for IU Southeast.

The loss came as a disappointment to the IUS Women’s Tennis Team after their strong start against USI.

“We had won two out of three of the doubles games and only needed to win three singles games to win the match,” Jenni Walters, IUS Women’s Tennis head coach, said. “However, USI does have a good tennis program.”

Walters said, despite the loss, she was still excited for the rest of the season.

“I am thrilled for this season, and, hopefully, we will continue to get better,” Walters said.

Many of the IUS players said they attributed the loss to the disparity of the two programs. USI is a Division II Program, while IU Southeast is Division III.

“I think they are one of the strongest teams we will face this season, “Ashley Bunch, nursing freshman, said.

Bunch played in the No. 3 doubles position and won her game with the help of her partner Emily McGrath, sophomore.

This was her first tennis game for IU Southeast. Despite losing her singles game against USI, Bunch said she still had a positive outlook on the game.

“It was really exciting,” Bunch said. “There were nerves when we first started playing, but, once we got it together, it was great.”

Bunch said she is excited about playing for IU Southeast this season.

“I think it is going to go really well,” she said.

Kelsey Wisman, secondary education junior, said this is her third season with IU Southeast.

She and her doubles partner Emma LaDuke, accounting and finance junior, are in the No. 2 doubles position for IU Southeast.

She said, in past seasons, USI has been a difficult opponent. In their recent match against USI, she won her doubles game but lost her singles.

“They are one of the toughest we play during the past seasons, and this was our first real match this season,” Wisman said. “Sometimes we have to play against teams that are stronger than us.”

She said having USI as one of their scheduled opponents was luck-of-the-draw.

It is LaDuke’s third season on the team, as well as her third as Wisman’s doubles partner. She said she still felt the team played well overall.

“I think we played hard, but [the USI] girls just made some good moves we could not return,” LaDuke said.

Both Wisman and LaDuke played at the Women’s Tennis Fall Invitational at DePauw University on Sept. 5. Only some of the tennis team played in the invitational.

LaDuke said she feels the rest of the season will be better.

Wisman said she agreed the rest of the season should turn out better.

“If it goes as planned, I think we will do really well this season,” Wisman said.

Many of the girls said they shared the same enthusiasm after the match.

For Brittney Coan, biology freshman, this was her first match playing for IU Southeast, and she said she has enjoyed it so far.

“We played well and had a good game,” Coan said. “I look forward to the rest of the season, and I think we will do well in upcoming games.”

Her doubles partner Lisann Goodin, undecided freshman, played both a doubles game and singles game against USI.

Both were wins for USI, but Goodin said she still felt it was a decent game.

“This is the first real game I have played since my junior year in high school,” Goodin said. “We have been practicing really hard, and I bet the rest of the season will go better.”

Goodin said she is looking forward to the practices more because she has enjoyed this team so far.

“Everyone gets along with each other and, hopefully, that will help us play well together for our upcoming games,” Goodin said.

By MORIAH

WHITTAKER

Staff

whittakm@umail.iu.edu