After two losses in Texas, the ISU women’s tennis team returns to Ames to face Northern Iowa Friday.

The Cyclones (1-3, 0-2 Big 12) are coming off sweeps by Texas and Texas A&M, both of which are ranked in the top 20 nationally. Despite the defeats, there were some positive aspects to the matches, said sophomore Beth Chermel.

“We’ve gotten our toughest competition out of the way,” Chermel said. “Last week’s matches gave us something to work for and showed us how we can improve.”

Sophomore Eve Soriano agreed.

“It’s good to compete against the best,” she said.

The Cyclones have been working on both mental and physical aspects of their game in practice.

“We’ve worked on our doubles play and done a lot of practice with serving,” Chermel said. “We’ve also been working on increasing our confidence and becoming a more well-rounded team.”

The Panthers (3-2, 0-0 Missouri Valley) defeated Truman State 6-1 last Saturday. Northern Iowa is led by junior Jamie Noyce, who plays in the No. 1 singles slot.

The Cyclones swept Northern Iowa last season 7-0. Some Cyclone netters have encountered Panthers this year. ISU freshman Jill Palen defeated Northern Iowa’s Meredith Esbeck 6-0, 6-0 in a preseason tournament in October.

“Instate matches are usually very intense,” Soriano said. “We do pretty well in them, though.”

Iowa State plays at 4 p.m. Friday at the Ames Racquet & Fitness Center.

“It’s always a confidence boost playing at home,” Chermel said. “Last week was our first time playing outdoor this season. It’ll be nice to get back indoor and hopefully win.”

The Cyclones continue their season the week of March 14 with matches in Arizona against Northern Colorado, Grand Canyon and Arizona State.