Caitlin Loprinzi knew this day would eventually come.

She didn’t expect it to come so soon.

This weekend brings the chance for seniors Loprinzi and Chrissy Derouin to end their final season on a good note, competing at home against Colorado and Missouri.

“It is a little weird for me to be standing here knowing that my college career is nearly over. The time has gone by so fast that it seems like just yesterday I was a freshman,” Loprinzi said.

On Friday at 3 p.m., the Cyclones will take on the Colorado Buffaloes in the first of two home meets. Then, on Saturday, the two seniors will be honored before their 3:30 p.m. meet with the Missouri Tigers. The tennis meets with both the Tigers and the Buffaloes will be held at the Ames Racquet and Fitness Center and are free to the public.

By winning either of the two contests, the Cyclones would finally put an end to their streak of 62 consecutive losses to Big 12 opponents. Since neither the Buffaloes (7-10, 4-3 Big 12) nor the Tigers (9-10, 1-6) pose a serious threat, the Cyclones could chalk up their first conference win since March 1, 2003.

For Derouin, putting an end to the streak would provide a storybook finish to her career.

“My goal coming into the season was to win one Big 12 meet. We came so close to beating Missouri two years ago, but we could not finish it out. Now this weekend provides us with an opportunity as good as any to redeem ourselves and reach that goal,” Derouin said.

Despite the team’s previous struggles, leadership has remained strong. Assistant coach Armando Espinosa has been thoroughly impressed by the persistently upbeat attitude that both seniors have shown the team over the years.

“Chrissy and Caitlin are great for this program,” Espinosa said. “Every day they go out and practice very hard and give you everything they have energy-wise. It is very difficult for me to put into words what it is going to be like trying to replace them.”