The Hawkeyes proved they are much more than lucky.
By Mason Clarke
Immense talent and suffocating heat in Oklahoma could not break the spirit of the four Hawkeyes competing in the Central Regional.
“We did a great job handling the heat and competed well,” assistant coach Denise Dy said.
The Hawkeyes posted numerous victories in another loaded fall tournament.
Iowa came out strong, with both doubles teams, senior Annette Dohanics/sophomore Anastasia Reimchen and junior Natalie Looney/sophomore Zoe Douglas, won their first matches. In singles, the Hawkeye players combined for a first round win-loss record of 2-2.
With a field that contained elite players from 22 teams, including nine power conference squads, the regional was anything but a pushover for the Hawkeyes, who are often underdogs.
The victories for the Hawkeyes, then, were unexpected by some.
Veteran head coach Katie Dougherty, however, has been confident in her players all year. Each week she has had only positive things to say about her team, and even heading into such a competitive tournament, she was confident her four traveling athletes would do well.
Moving on in the tournament presented more challenges for the Hawkeyes as they saw a few losses to very tough opponents.
The Hawks did not prove that they are a powerhouse, but they did send a message. Competitive matches at the Furman Classic and victories at the Purdue Invitational were not lucky.
Iowa made it through a blistering hot weekend with victories for everyone and optimism for the future.
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