Iowa women’s tennis team splits up, competes in two events
The Hawkeyes participated in both the ITA All-American Championships and the Northwestern Invitational last week.
Iowa’s Alexa Noel serves the ball during the Iowa Women’s Tennis match against Purdue on Feb. 28, 2021 at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex. Iowa defeated Purdue 6-1.
October 11, 2021
Iowa women’s tennis head coach Sasha Schmid split her roster up to compete in two events last week.
Schmid sent sophomore Alexa Noel and senior Samantha Mannix to Charleston, South Carolina, to play in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s All-American Championships.
She also shipped the likes of sophomore Vipasha Mehra, senior Samantha Gillas, and junior Michelle Bacalla to Evanston, Illinois, to participate in the Northwestern Invitational.
Four Hawkeyes claimed singles victories in Evanston: Mehra, Gillas, Bacalla, and Mannix. Noel and Mannix were eliminated in the early portion of the ITA All-American Championships’ doubles tournament, giving Mannix the ability to compete in the Northwestern Invitational. Mannix did not participate in the ITA All-American Championships’ singles competition.
While her teammates were competing in Evanston, Noel was trying to win the ITA All-American Championships’ women’s singles tournament in Charleston.
Noel won her first match in the event’s round of 32 Oct. 6, defeating Northern Arizona’s Gina Dittamn, 6-3, 6-2.
Noel proceeded to rally off victories over UCF’s Valeriya Zelevka, Duke’s Georgia Drummy, and USC’s Eryn Cayetano in the rounds of 16, eight, and four, respectively.
Noel won her matchup with Drummy via injury default.
While Noel did advance to the ITA All-American Championships’ singles tournament final, she could not finish the event. Noel forfeited in the middle of her match with South Carolina’s Sarah Hammer because of an injury.
Noel has been recovering from an ankle injury she sustained in May for the entirety of the 2021-22 campaign.
