Iowa State has been on a bumpy ride through Big 12 country and has found little respite along the way.

The ISU tennis team (8-11, 0-6 Big 12) will find the road no friendlier this weekend as it heads to the panhandle to take on No. 22 Oklahoma State and No. 18 Oklahoma.

Still, ISU coach Armando Espinosa said the strong and competitive efforts against Texas Christian and Texas Tech in Iowa State’s final home meets of the 2014 season have reinvigorated his team’s confidence.

This has been especially true for freshman Samantha Budai, who earned her first conference victory Sunday against Texas Tech.

“Getting that win felt really good,” Budai said. “I think I needed it for a confidence boost.”

Budai, who plays No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles, was hampered by injury early in Big 12 play, but said the pain has subsided, which has raised her performance level as well as her expectations for the last three meets of the season.

“I want at least two more wins in singles for sure and at least two more in doubles,” Budai said.

Those goals are lofty, as only freshman Talisa Merchiers has tallied more than one conference victory for the Cyclones this season, winning twice at the No. 6 position. However, Budai has played only two Big 12 matches in good health and is 1-1 in those contests.

If Budai can achieve the wins she seeks, it will go a long way toward the realization of a larger plan voiced by Espinosa, which would put the Cyclones in a position to win a round in the Big 12 tournament — something Iowa State has never accomplished.

“The biggest thing we are striving for would be to advance one round in the Big 12,” Espinosa said. “If we are able to beat West Virginia, we will be seeded ninth and playing the No. 8 seed, which will be either Kansas or Kansas State. We match up pretty well with [both].”

The Cyclones were beaten 6-1 by Kansas in what Espinosa called one of the team’s worst efforts of the season, but they played Kansas State to a 5-2 defeat that was much closer than it read on the scorecard.

Espinosa also pointed out that the first time around, neither team had to contend with Budai.

“We are going to know exactly what to expect out of either team and I think we will be better prepared,” Espinosa said. “We will also have Sammy back …which will allow us to push everyone down a spot, so I think we will be able to get some decent results there.”

As for this weekend in Oklahoma, Espinosa said he would love a win, but what he is most interested in is the continued sharpening of the team’s competitive edge.

“We have nothing to lose,” Espinosa said. “We play the role of the underdog a little bit better anyway. I want to see us compete and go out there and fight. That is all I ask of the girls.”

The Cyclones will meet Oklahoma State at 5 p.m. April 4 in Stillwater, Okla., and Oklahoma at 11 a.m. April 6 in Norman, Okla.