After bidding farewell to former head coach Daryl Greenan in late September, the Iowa women’s tennis team remains optimistic.

In the coach’s absence, assistant coach Mira Radu filled in, keeping the team feeling confident heading into the off-season.

Junior Alexis Dorr, who is also a DI reporter, praised Radu, saying she felt the team has weathered the circumstances despite excess stress.

“I think we did a really good job considering our coach left,” she said. “It was a difficult time for us. But overall we worked hard. We did a pretty good job. I think we did a lot better than we probably expected.

“I think that with the coach leaving, it’s been difficult because it’s been a bit chaotic. But I think that together we got through it, and we found a way to make it work. It does affect your play a little bit, but we have Mira and volunteer assistant coach Chris [Lueth], so it hasn’t been troubling.”

Before Iowa’s first tournament on Sept. 25, Greenan left the team to take the job at Mississippi State. Since then, the Hawkeyes have been awaiting word on the coaching search. They aren’t letting the circumstances dictate their outlook for the spring.

Dorr said the team will interview coaches later this semester and will get a glimpse of what to expect.

“We’re not worried about finding a coach per se,” she said. “[Senior Associate Director of Athletics] Jane Meyer has put together a search, so I’m not too worried about that. We might be a little bit worried about the new coach — how he coaches, and his style, and things like that.”

The Hawkeyes’ play through three competitions may have been the only positive this autumn. Radu lauded the team’s attitude thus far.

“I’m really proud of the way they worked in practice and then performed in the tournaments,” she said. “We went into this fall, I think they did a great job by not being distracted by all this adversity and the bad stuff that happens while not having a head coach.”

In Greenan’s absence, Radu has built rhythm within the team. She isn’t being considered for the head coaching position, but the second-year assistant said the team trusts the administration to find the right coach.

“[Officials are] going to find a real good coach to come and take over the team,” she said. “They’re working hard on it, and I trust them that they’re going to bring a quality person in.”

Even without a new head coach, the Hawkeyes saw vast improvements in their doubles game.

Junior Jessica Young and Kelcie Klockenga won the doubles competition at the Minnesota Gopher Invitational. And the duos of sophomore Sonja Molnar and junior Lynne Poggensee-Wei and seniors Zuzana Chmelarova and Merel Beelen have also been successful.

During the winter, Radu said, the Iowa players must continue to work on all aspects of their game. But an emphasis will remain on doubles for the spring.

“We’re definitely seeing a lot of improvements — especially in doubles,” Radu said. “We’re going to keep working on doubles to make sure we’re really comfortable moving around the net.

“This last tournament was a great way to end the season. Sonja and Lynne performed really well against the best competition from the region.”