Members of the ISU tennis team are ready to face opponents that aren’t their own teammates.

“They’re getting sick and tired of hitting at the same people day in and day out,” said coach Armando Espinosa.

After a month off following its play at the Gopher and Drake Invitationals, the tennis team will compete, beginning Wednesday, at both the Kansas Invitational and at the ITA Regional Championships. The competitions, which will last through Sunday, mark the midway point of the team’s fall season. It ends in two weeks when they head to Kalamazoo, Mich., for the Western Michigan Invitational.

Ten of the 11 girls on the team will head to Lawrence for the Kansas Invitational, while junior Erin Karonis, a returning All-Big 12 honoree, will compete at the ITA Regional Championships in Norman, Okla.

The main difference between the Kansas Invitational and the ITA Regional Championships is at Kansas each competitor is guaranteed three singles and three doubles matches while at Oklahoma Karonis will face single elimination beginning with her first match on Wednesday.

At Kansas, Espinosa is hoping the team will improve its performance in doubles competition. The team went a combined 6–8 in doubles play at Minnesota and Drake. Espinosa will change all the doubles pairings that played together at the Gopher and Drake Invitationals.

“[At Kansas] we really just want the girls to get more matches and get back into a competition setting,” Espinosa said.

Sophomore Maria Fernanda Macedo, who went 4–0 and captured a singles title at the Drake Invitational, is hoping she can become more consistent this weekend and hopefully that can lead to another singles title at Kansas.

“I sometimes play with too much emotion and get too excited in a match,” Macedo said. “I need to control [my emotions] if I want to be successful.”

Last year, Karonis and Macedo traveled to the Regional Championships and were defeated in the first round of doubles play. In singles competition, Karonis advanced to the second round before being defeated 6–3, 6–3 by Wiveca Swarting of Nebraska.

This weekend Karonis will face some tough competition as a number of Big 12 programs — including Oklahoma State, Kansas and Kansas State — will send their best players to Norman.

“If I play relaxed and comfortable, I know I can do well,” Karonis said.

The team has never sent more than two players to the Regional Championships, but Espinosa hopes that as the program improves the team can send more girls to compete.

In preparation for her singles competition, Karonis has been simulating different in-match scenarios such as playing while her opponent is leading and closing out matches that she leads. Also, Karonis has spent extra time playing as many matches as she can, including playing Ames High School senior Evan Quinn in an exhibition match.

“She’s worked hard since last season and has earned the right to go,” said assistant coach Chris Williams.