The ISU women’s tennis team began its spring season last weekend with a successful visit to Iowa City for the Hawkeye Invitational. In addition to the host Hawkeyes, Iowa State squared off against Northern Iowa and Northern Illinois in the three day tournament.

The Cyclones were outstanding in doubles action, posting a 7-1 overall record for the weekend. Sophomore Kara Hickey and senior Eve Soriano won a close match with Northern Illinois’s Lilian Asuaje and Nao Umemura, 11-9, en route to an undefeated finish and were crowned doubles co-champions.

Coach Michele Conlon felt confidence played a part in the doubles’ success.

“When the going got tough, there was no panic with our players,” she said. “I thought they were very composed. They stayed calm, collected and just closed their sets out.”

Doubles matches with Iowa were canceled because of the snow storm that hit Saturday evening.

In singles play, Iowa State was less than stellar, finishing with an overall record of 3-11. Seven losses can be attributed to the superiority of the Hawkeyes, who lived up to their No. 36 preseason ranking. Highlights were found in individual victories by the top three Cyclones over their Panther counterparts. Hickey and the Palen sisters, senior Jill and freshman Alyssa, accounted for the three ISU singles victories.

Jill Palen enjoyed an exceptionally productive weekend, losing only in the championship match to Iowa’s Jacqueline Lee (6-4, 6-4).

“Jill played at a really high level all weekend,” Conlon said. “I felt that she strung together three matches in a row that may be the best three matches in a row that I’ve ever seen her play.”

The championship match was heavily contested with the opponents trading games back and forth throughout both sets. Palen thought Lee’s ability to rise up and win clutch points was the reason she was able to close out the match and finish the sweep of the Cyclones.

“I played well throughout the match but she was a very strong player and played the bigger points better than I did,” Palen said. “I think that was the difference maker – she just played those points better and that’s obviously why she won.”

The Cyclones will host the Texas Longhorns at 2 p.m. Friday at the Ames Racquet and Fitness Center. This will be the first home match of the season as well as Iowa State’s first taste of Big 12 action.