By Cody Smith
Senior Anastasia Reimchen had a solid performance to lead the Hawkeyes as they finished non-conference play with a win against Iowa State, 5-2.
Iowa started off with a hot start, as No. 49 Reimchen and Elise van Heuvelen clinched the doubles point for the Hawkeyes to give them a 1-0 early lead. This win extended the duos record to a perfect 3-0 when playing together.
But things took a turn for the worse for the Hawkeyes once single play began.
Senior Zoe Douglas had to withdraw from her match at the No. 3 position with an unknown injury. This injury could really affect the Hawks as they move into Big Ten play; Douglas is 6-2 in singles and 5-1 in doubles.
If Iowa has a shot for the Big Ten title, then it will need other players to step up and fill the void for Douglas. And that’s exactly what head coach Sasha Schmid saw her team do against Iowa State.
“[Wednesday] was a tough, hard fought match. I was happy to see the team play tough and get a team win. We are looking forward to conference play now, and are excited to get back on the court in a week verse Penn State,” said Schmid.
Although not everyone had a tough match, Reimchen secured the first singles point for the Hawkeyes, as she went on the defeat Freeman in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2, to create a 2-1 lead. Without Douglas in the line up anymore, look for Reimchen to get more opportunities.
The Hawkeyes got complacent as junior Adorabol Huckleby lost in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, to give the Cyclones a chance to get back in it. But that didn’t last long, as van Heuvelen broke the tie by defeating Regina Espindola in quick fashion, 6-4, 6-2, to give Iowa a 3-2 lead heading down the stretch.
After van Heuvelen’s matchup, the Hawkeyes did not look back, as freshman Yufei Long and senior Montana Crawford battled in their singles play. Both forced a third-set tiebreaker in which they both won, extending the lead for the Hawkeyes in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series.
The win not only gives Iowa a 13-8 advantage down the stretch in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series, but it also puts the Hawkeyes above .500 for the first time on the road this season, at 4-3. It also allowed the Hawkeyes to finish with twice as many wins than loses in non-conference play, as they finish 8-4 going into the Big Ten schedule.
Up next for the Hawkeyes will be Penn State on March 14 in University Park, Pennsylvania, at 6 p.m.