Butler women’s tennis will enter a meet with city rival IUPUI this Saturday after another 7-0 defeat, this time while facing the No. 44 Indiana Hoosiers.
The 7-0 loss, which came one day after a home match versus Dayton was canceled due to adverse weather conditions, was not as bad as the score shows.
In fact, senior Gabriella Bobrowski said the team showed improvement.
“The final 7-0 score looks pretty rough, but it didn’t feel that way considering how many close matches we had in both singles and doubles,” she said. “IU took the win probably because they could hit solid shots more consistently and were able to keep their heads cool and stay consistent without backing off.”
One of those close matches went to Butler, though, when freshmen Stephanie McLoughlin and Gabrielle Rubenstein defeated Indiana’s No.1 doubles team, 8-6.
“We really stuck to the basics—making sure we stayed aggressive while not trying to out-hit such a powerful team,” McLoughlin said. “We knew we were a good team and we believed we could win, no matter who was on the other side of the net.”
McLoughlin was one of two Bulldogs to win a set in singles, taking the first set of her No. 3 singles match, 4-6, before losing the second and the deciding tie-breaker.
“My doubles match allowed me to have the confidence to come in behind good ground strokes and finish the point at the net,” she said.
Bobrowski was the other Bulldog to win a set in singles, doing so in the No. 4 singles match.
Bobrowski said that the freshmen looked much more comfortable in the season’s third match.
“The beginning was a little shaky for them, which is normal,” Bobrowski said. “But having them play at a high level is crucial for the rest of the season, considering they are a big chunk of the line up.”
Bobrowski also said besides strong freshman play, Butler will need to improve its strength late in matches to get more wins.
“Last week, we struggled to finish points,” she said. “We would set up the entire point well and struggle in putting it away. This week’s preparation will probably be a continuation of what we did last week—working on finishing our shots.
“We have the perfect opportunity to practice winning clutch points at IUPUI.”
Saturday’s meet at IUPUI begins at 6 p.m.