By Nicholas Moreano
The Iowa women’s tennis team is currently 3-1 against Big Ten opponents after defeating Wisconsin and Minnesota on the road last weekend.
Iowa will return to the Hawkeye Tennis & Recreation Complex this weekend to face two more conference opponents. First, the Hawkeyes will take on Illinois at 2 p.m. Friday and then No. 40 Northwestern on April 2, also at 2 p.m.
Hawkeye head coach Sasha Schmid was proud of her team after the two road victories, but the second win against the Gophers stood out.
“I really think that the Minnesota singles were collectively, 1 through 6, are best team match of the season,” Schmid said.
The Hawkeyes’ matchup against Minnesota started with losing the doubles point. With Iowa down, 1-0, it was up to individual efforts to get the Hawkeyes their third conference victory of the season.
Freshman Elise van Heuvelen, sophomore Adorabol Huckleby, and juniors Anastasia Reimchen and Montana Crawford, helped get the 4-2 victory.
For Schmid, she is more focused on the team members progressing in their games each week more so than what shows up in the win or loss column. She believes with this philosophy, it will take the pressure off the players, which will result in their playing the best brand of tennis.
“I think more than anything that was the lesson from Minnesota; when we let go of worrying about winning, if you stay true to the process, you will ultimately like the result in the end,” Schmid said.
The Hawkeyes will try to stay true to that process the rest of the season, and they will be tested in their matchup against Illinois. In the all-time series between the two teams, the Illini have a 27-25 advantage.
That two-game lead can change after Friday. Illinois has struggled on the road this season, going 1-5.
On the flip side, the Hawkeyes have yet to lose a match at home, going 7-0 this season.
Huckleby believes the Hawkeyes have excelled at defending their home court.
“I think we bring a lot of energy when we start a match, especially in doubles,” she said. “I think we sort of overwhelm our opponents.”
Just like the Illini, the Wildcats also have the advantage in the all-time series against the Hawkeyes, 43-2. But the Wildcats have struggled to get wins on the road this season: They’re currently 0-5.
Despite the road record, Northwester is still a ranked opponent, and the Hawkeyes must use their experience against ranked teams to help give them an advantage.
“We just know it’s going to be a tough match, and we got to come out here, and everyone has to be on her game,” junior Zoe Douglas said. “We have to be ready to fight for every point.”