The ISU tennis team spent most of its Spring Break on the road, winning in Kansas City, Mo., on March 19, 2013, then ending the road trip with two losses in the state of Texas.

University of Missouri – Kansas City

Iowa State cruised to a 4-0 victory against UMKC, but that was not the only challenge for the Cyclones.

Snow and rain forced the meet to end early without doubles play. Emma Waites and Caroline Hauge Andersen both had their matches called during the second set.

The Cyclones had to make adjustments early to play to their full potential.

“We all had to adjust from what we’re used to,” said coach Armando Espinosa. “The conditions were very bad and it was snowing towards the end of the meet, but we were able to deal with that and got on top early and never looked back.”

Sophomore Ksenia Pronina thought the team performed well given the conditions and the factors involved in playing their first outside meet.

“We adapted very well to the conditions,” Pronina said. “It was our first time outside and it was very snowy, but everyone adjusted very well and played consistently.”

Texas and Texas Tech

The Cyclones resumed Big 12 play against No. 22 Texas on March 21, losing to the Longhorns with a score of 7-0.

The Longhorns boasted a stout lineup: No. 1 singles player Aeriel Ellis is ranked No. 42 in the nation, while No. 2 singles player Breaunna Addison is ranked No. 52 in the nation. Addison and teammate, Noel Scott, form the No. 19 doubles duo in the nation.

Little changed for the Cyclones two days later when they played No. 20 Texas Tech. The Cyclones dropped to 0-4 in Big 12 play after losing to the Red Raiders 7-0.

“They are both very good teams that jumped on us from the first point,” Espinosa said. “We never really got going at the start and they never gave us a chance after that. It’s something we expect from good teams, but we need to work on starting faster so we don’t have to dig ourselves out of a hole.”

Pronina lost to Kenna Kilgo 6-3, 6-1 in the No. 2 singles match.

“They both came out very strong every time and put a lot of pressure on,” Pronina said. “You have to play strong in the beginning so you can keep up the rest of the match.”

The Cyclones will try to improve their 6-10 record when they face in-state rival Northern Iowa on March 29.