Last weekend against Iowa State and Utah State, Iowa women’s tennis player Zoe Douglas passed a milestone of sorts — her first appearance in dual-match play as a Hawkeye.

Although she débuted over the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend in singles play and won, she didn’t see any action in the first dual-match of the season against Northern Iowa.

On Feb. 6 and Sunday, the freshman teamed with senior Katie Zordani, and the two did not disappoint Hawkeye fans.

“She and Katie played together when we were down in Florida, and they looked like they could do it,” head coach Katie Dougherty said. “Zoe was practicing great, so we gave her the shot over the weekend.

“… She did a fantastic job. She had no fear out there, and she did really well.”

In a heated contest against Iowa State on Feb. 6, the pair were down 5-4 but catching momentum when their match was abandoned after Iowa clinched the doubles point.

Against Utah State on Sunday, Zordani and Douglas played a huge role in winning the doubles point, and Douglas stepped up to score that winning point. The freshman was soft-spoken and modest.

She was equally as modest about breaking into the doubles lineup, although she was smiling about it.

“I’m happy about it,” she said. “It’s still early, but I’m happy to be playing, so I’m going to make the most of it and just keep trying hard.”

Zordani was enthusiastic about their chemistry together, and she said she thinks they flow seamlessly on the court as doubles partners.

“I love playing with her,” the senior said. “It’s always fun; I think we work well together. Especially by keeping each other relaxed and keeping each other positive.”

The senior said she’s confident in Douglas’ play in critical situations, even though the freshman is still new to college tennis.

Douglas seems very happy to be a Hawkeye. Her energy on the court is intense. She’s quick, athletic, and showed promise over the weekend.

Should Douglas continue to see time in Iowa’s lineup, Zordani said, she thinks the two could have a successful run together.

“We believe in each other,” Zordani said. “And we always know that at the right times, we’re going to be successful putting away volleys and stepping in and hitting the right ball at the right time.”

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