With 10 of the 11 players on the ISU tennis team hailing from cold weather climates the recent weather in Ames has been all too familiar.

Luckily for the Cyclones, the members will say their goodbyes to the snow on the ground and sub-freezing temperatures for the weekend when they head south this weekend for a pair of non-conference matches.

“The change of weather will be great,” junior Erin Karonis said. “We’re kind of tired of the snow and lack of sunlight.”

On its mid-winter break, the team will square off against the University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP) and North Florida. The team has been practicing indoors at the Ames Racquet and Fitness Center since late October, so the weather could be a factor in this weekend’s competition.

“I think it will be hard adjusting to it but it shouldn’t be too bad because we were playing so much outdoors at the beginning of the year,” freshman Jenna Langhorst said.

The Cyclones are coming off a season-opening 4-3 loss at the hands of No. 69 Minnesota. That match-up came down to the final set as Iowa State lost a close No. 6 singles match to give Minnesota the deciding point.

Looking ahead to this weekend, coach Armando Espinosa feels the trip to Florida will benefit his team both physically and mentally.

“It will be a great opportunity for us to gain some team unity and it’s also important because the Big 12 [conference season] will be outdoors,” Espinosa said.

Espinosa said his team will need to use the skills they have been developing indoors and adjust them to conditions that will cause the ball to not come as fast as it does indoors.

“Whether it’s the wind or sun, anytime we come outside its going to be a little bit of an adjustment,” Espinosa said.

The Cyclones are hoping they can make their adjustment to the warm weather as smoothly as Langhorst has made her adjustment to the college game. After going 6-5 in singles and 6-3 in doubles over the fall season, Langhorst started her season with a pair of wins last weekend, a 6-2, 6-3 win in singles over Magdalena Wiecha and an 8-3 upset victory alongside Karonis over Minnesota’s top–ranked doubles team of Tijana Koprivica and Jackie Sperling.

“[With the wins] I have more confidence now that I’m not so nervous and hopefully I will be help the team get some points,” Langhorst said.

Iowa State will take on UTEP tomorrow and North Florida on Sunday. Unlike its last opponent, No. 69 Minnesota, neither team is ranked nationally. However, both UTEP and North Florida have the luxury of practicing and playing outdoors year-round.

“The fact that they are both outdoor teams will make them very dangerous,” Espinosa said

Both UTEP and North Florida will be playing their first dual matches of the season this weekend.

According to www.weather.com, the predicted high temperatures for Friday and Sunday in Jacksonville, Fla. are 71 and 55 degrees fahrenheit. 

Espinosa, a Mexico City native himself, isn’t too worried about the 16 degree drop in temperature affecting his team.

“I think even the 50s will feel a bit warm for us,” Espinosa said.