Both Iowa tennis teams head out from the Tennis Complex this weekend to face big road tests.

The men’s squad, which enters the weekend ranked No. 42, will hit the road for the first time this season. The Hawkeyes will head to Cornell (3-5) to challenge the Big Red after starting the season 8-1 in its nine-game opening stretch.

“We are happy to be ranked at No. 42,” head coach Ross Wilson said. “But again, there’s a lot left to do, and you know guys are pretty focused on the end goal, which is making it to the NCAA Tournament and finish in the top 45 in the country.”

Iowa is one of six Big Ten teams ranked, joining Ohio State (1), Illinois (8), Minnesota (17), Michigan (18), and Penn State (39).

The key to the Hawkeyes’ early success this season has been their domination in doubles. Iowa has secured the doubles point in eight of the nine dual matches. Doubles partners Kareem Allaf and Jonas Larsen are 7-2 at the No. 1 position, and Oliver Okonkwo and Will Davies have a team-best 8-1 record at No. 2.

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“I think we gel continually,” Davies said. “And the results are definitely showing. We working together, he’s obviously British and I’m British, so we have a great relationship on the court.”

Additionally, Iowa has been as good in singles.

Piotr Smietana, Davies, and Okonkwo are each 7-2 at No. 6, No. 5, and No. 4 this spring. As a team, Iowa has dropped just 16 of 52 singles matches.

On the other side, the women’s team has managed to not lose a single dual match all season. The Hawkeyes enter the weekend 7-0 with matches coming up against Northwestern (away) and Penn State.

“We are happy to obviously be 7-0 right now, but we are ready to take on bigger challenges,” Elise van Heuvelen Treadwell said.

Iowa will travel to Evanston, Illinois, to face off against the Wildcats as a nonconference game at 5 p.m. on Feb. 22, then return to host the Nittany Lions on Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. in their Big Ten opener.

“A lot of team dynamics take on a life of its own and can become contagious, and it’s great for this team to see teammates competing well and being able to win close, three-set battles,” head coach Sasha Schmid said. “That starts to create team culture, and that’s important. It’s building, and the team has laid a good foundation for the first third of the season. We’re entering the second third, which has some great competition with the mix of Big Ten play and our nonconference schedule. Our goal is to continue to build on each third of the season and finish strong at the Big Ten Tournament.”

However, the Hawkeyes could be in serious danger of dropping their first match. Iowa is just 2-45 against Northwestern all-time. On the other hand, against Penn State, Iowa leads the all-time series, 26-7.

If the Hawkeyes have any shot of improving on its undefeated record, they are going to have to hope Sophie Clark and van Heuvelen Treadwell keep rolling.

The two have each recorded six singles wins this season with Clark (6-0) not dropping a single match and van Heuvelen Treadwell (6-1) dropping just one. Additionally, van Heuvelen Treadwell has a 6-1 doubles record with senior partner Adorabol Huckleby at No. 1.

“Sophie as a freshman has performed really well,” van Heuvelen Treadwell said. “And we all have been doing our jobs so far. Dore [Huckleby] being the only senior has really stepped forward and taken a lead on this team.”