Hawkeye tennis finishes strong in fall-season finales
As both the Iowa tennis squads’ fall seasons end, some players finished on a high note.
Dori Huckleby returns a volley during Iowa’s meet against Minnesota at the HTRC on April 20, 2018.The Hawkeyes were defeated 4-3.
November 12, 2018
Both the Iowa men’s and women’s tennis teams competed in their last fall tournaments this past weekend, each falling in their respective meets.
The women’s team came close but failed to pick up a singles main draw championship at the Rebel Tennis Women’s Invitational in Las Vegas. Freshman Samantha Mannix and sophomore Danielle Burich lost in their respective championships in the singles main draw, while the pairing of Michelle Bacalla and Sophie Clark fell to Seira Shimizu and Caitlin Calkins of Purdue (6-3) in the Flight Two Doubles championship match.
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Nonetheless, the Hawkeyes were able to pick up 18 wins between singles and doubles play, including two consolation championships from junior Elise Van Heuvelen Treadwell and freshman Ashleigh Jacobs. Additionally, senior Adorobol Huckleby took third place in the Flight Four singles main draw.
“It was a good tournament for our team. We had lots of competitive matches where we had to really dig in and fight,” women’s head coach Sasha Schmid said in a release. “Each player learned a lot, and I’m pleased with where we are as a team at the conclusion of the fall season. It was a great run here for Sam and Danielle reaching the finals of their flights. It was terrific to have Elise and Cloe back healthy and competing this weekend. I’m excited to start the spring season with this group.”
The men’s team had a little bit more success, but it didn’t start off the way the Hawks wanted it to. The sole Hawkeye player in the National Fall Championships, Kareem Allaf, dropped his first match in straight sets playing in Sunrise, Arizona. However, he bounced back to advance in the consolation bracket of the tournament, making it as far as the Round of 16.
“I’m really proud of the improvements Kareem has made this fall,” men’s head coach Ross Wilson said in a release. “He’s always had this level of tennis in him, but his approach to his matches and pressure situations has made the difference in his results this fall.”
In addition to Allaf playing in Arizona, the men’s squad also had freshman Oliver Okonkwo and sophomore Joe Tyler competing in the Longhorn Invitational in Texas. The underclassmen took the first day to get adjusted before sweeping play in Day 2 both in singles and as a doubles pair in the respective flight brackets.
It was as if the two finally looked comfortable playing at the Texas Tennis Center.
“I saw a lot of great things out of Joe and Oliver today,” assistant coach Joey Manilla said. “They competed hard from the beginning to end, which earned them the results they wanted. I’m excited for them to carry this momentum into tomorrow.”
Taking the momentum into the final day of the tournament, the two wound up in the championship match in each of their respective flight brackets. Okonkwo was crowned Flight B White champion, and Tyler advanced to the championship match in the Flight C Gold on the strength of three wins.
In Okonkwo’s Flight B Championship match, he bested Miami’s Kaya Gore in a three-set match (2-6, 6-4, 6-1). Tyler fell in his championship match in straight sets (6-4, 6-3) to Houston’s Mohamed Abdel-Aziz.
The men’s team will next play on Jan. 19, 2019, when it takes on Western Michigan and Marquette in the Hawkeye Tennis Complex. The Hawkeye women will resume action Jan. 11, 2019, when they’ll play in Dallas at SMU’s Metroplex Mania.
