By Blake Dowson
[email protected]
The Iowa women’s tennis team opened up its 2016 season with a double-header sweep of Missouri State in the Hawkeye Tennis & Recreation Complex this past weekend.
The Hawkeyes took care of the Bears, 6-1, in the first match and swept them 4-0 in the second.
“I’m pleased with how we competed today, with a full team effort,” head coach Katie Dougherty said in a release. Iowa earned the doubles point in the opener and posted individual wins from freshmen Adorabol Huckleby and Kristen Thoms, junior Natalie Looney, sophomore Zoe Douglas, and junior Aimee Tarun.
Huckleby, Thoms, and Looney, who transferred to Iowa from South Carolina, all picked up their first wins as Hawkeyes.
Iowa again picked up the doubles point in the nightcap. Wins by sophomore Anastasia Reimchen, senior Annette Dohanics, and sophomore Montana Crawford clinched the sweep for Iowa.
Tarun, Thoms, and freshman Taylor Tamblyn all had play abandoned.
“Everyone put in great work in the preseason and over the break,” Dougherty said in a release. “We have a ton of options with our lineup. Everyone did a fantastic job, and I am proud of all of them.”
Men’s tennis
The No. 64 Iowa men’s tennis team traveled to the East Coast this weekend to take on No. 34 Princeton and No. 47 Cornell in the Big Ten/Ivy League Challenge.
In its first match on Jan. 29, Iowa fell to Princeton, 6-1.
The team of senior Dom Patrick and sophomore Josh Silverstein picked up a win in doubles competition for the Hawkeyes, but losses from the duos of sophomores Jake Jacoby and Lefteris Theodorou along with juniors Robin Haden and Nils Hallestrand clinched the point for the Tigers.
Theodorou was the only Hawkeye to post a win in singles play, taking down Thomas Colautti in three sets (4-6, 6-2, 6-4).
Silverstein lost a close match against Alexander Day, who is ranked No. 93 in the country. The sophomore dropped a three-set heartbreaker, (4-6, 6-2, 7-5).
Patrick dropped his match in the No. 1 spot, Haden lost in the No. 4 slot, and Jacoby and freshman Jonas Larsen dropped their matches in the No. 5 and 6 spots.
Iowa picked up a big ranked win on Sunday against No. 47 Cornell, 4-2.
The Hawkeyes stole the doubles point from the Big Red with victories from Jacoby and Theodorou in the No. 1 spot and Patrick and Silverstein in the No. 2 spot.
Theodorou picked up his second win of the weekend in the No. 2 singles slot. Silverstein and Jacoby both posted wins as well, sealing the victory for the Hawkeyes.
Patrick lost his match at No. 1 singles, and Haden had his match abandoned after Iowa had clinched the team win.
The Hawkeyes move to 2-1 on the early season, with two ranked wins under their belt.
