Cyclones net pair of Big 12 victories
Iowa State tennis began their successful weekend by securing their first conference win of the season with a 4-2 victory over Cincinnati. The match initially looked difficult for the Cyclones after they lost the doubles point, despite a dominant 6-2 win on court two by Julia Camblor and Stanislava Shulzhenko. Cincinnati rallied on the other two courts to take the early lead.
However, Iowa State quickly reclaimed control in singles play as Camblor won her match in just 52 minutes, followed by straight-set victories from Alicia Dale and Shulzhenko to put the Cyclones ahead 3-1. The match against the Bearcats reached a tense conclusion as Cincinnati secured a win on court two, leaving the outcome to the remaining final sets. Freshman Valentina Vargas ultimately clinched the historic victory on court six against Milica Popovski.
After winning a tight first-set tiebreaker and dropping the second set, Vargas delivered a perfect 6-0 performance in the final frame to seal the 4-2 win. This victory marked a significant turning point for the team as they headed into their final home appearance of the year. On Sunday, the Cyclones carried their momentum into their home finale against West Virginia, once again emerging with a 4-2 victory.
Unlike the previous match against Cincinnati, Iowa State gained the upper hand early by capturing the doubles point. While the pairing of Camblor and Shulzhenko again won convincingly on court two, the overall point came down to a tiebreaker on court one. Mari Paz Alberto Vilar and Ashlee Narker secured the 7-6 (5) victory over West Virginia to give Iowa State a 1-0 lead heading into singles.
The Cyclones’ lead quickly expanded to 2-0 as Suzanie Pretorius returned to the lineup with a straight-set win on court six. Although West Virginia managed to win on court three to tighten the score, Mari Paz Alberto Vilar provided a crucial performance at the No. 1 position.