The Iowa women’s tennis team went 1-1 at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s kickoff event this weekend. The Hawkeyes traveled to the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Georgia, for the event.

Iowa’s first opponent in Athens was Mississippi State. The Hawkeyes were defeated by the Bulldogs, 4-1, on Friday.

Iowa found more success on Saturday, defeating North Florida, 4-3.

Three Hawkeyes collected singles victories against the Ospreys: Freshman Barbora Pokorna, sophomore Vipasha Mehra, and senior Samantha Gillas.

Iowa won two doubles matches against North Florida. Hawkeye Senior Samantha Mannix and Merha beat the Ospreys’ Summer Yardley-Anslee Long tandem, 6-4

Iowa senior Michelle Bacalla and Pokorna downed Northern Florida’s Ana Paula Melilo-Kendall Nash duo, 6-4.

BIG PICTURE 

Iowa is still trying to fill the hole left in its lineup by sophomore Alexa Noel. The New Jerseyan has yet to play a match this spring.

Noel, who was named Big Ten Women’s Tennis Player of the Year in 2021, is transferring to the University of Miami for the 2022-23 season. Her status for the rest of the Hawkeyes’ 2021-22 campaign is unknown.

Iowa is 3-1 in duals without Noel this year. 

FRESHMAN PHENOM

True freshman Marisa Schmidt was the lone Hawkeye to pick up a victory against the Bulldogs.

Schmidt, who is from Germany, defeated Emmanouela Antonaki, 6-4, 6-4. Antonaki is the nation’s 50th-ranked player, per the ITA.

STAT OF THE DAY

Iowa is 9-3 in doubles matches this season.

The Hawkeyes started the year 6-0 in doubles. They’ve since gone 3-3-.

UP NEXT

Iowa’s next dual is scheduled for Feb. 4. The Hawkeyes will travel to Lawrence, Kansas, to take on the 0-3 Jayhawks.

The match will begin at 5 p.m.