Following a hard-hitting loss last weekend to in-state foe Drake, the ISU women’s tennis team seems to be more poised heading into the start of the Big 12 season.

“This team is good about handling themselves whether we win or lose,” head coach Michele Conlon said. “They came back Monday and put in a good hard week of practice. We started the week of practice getting used to their ground strokes and then worked on their individual parts of their game. We gradually got closer to working on their match play later in the week.”

The Cyclones will head to Oklahoma this weekend to take on the conference rival Sooners and then face the defending Big 12 women’s tennis champion, Oklahoma State.

Though the loss to Drake was difficult for the Cyclones, players said they felt they had come away much more resolute for the upcoming meets.

“We know that we played well against Drake,” sophomore Beth Chermel said. “We were a little disappointed after last weekend’s loss, but we’ve taken what we learned from that meet and have worked on it in practice.”

Freshman teammate Danielle Uscinski, who is Chermel’s doubles partner, agreed.

“We’re more confident going into this weekend,” Uscinski said. “We’re much more determined. We know we need to start closing out our matches.”

The Cyclones have started their season sluggishly, winning three of 18 singles matches. They have fared better, however, in their doubles play, winning four of nine matches.

“The girls have done an outstanding job,” Conlon said. “They are playing really well in their doubles matches.”

The Cyclone players also feel more relaxed in their doubles matches.

“Our doubles teams were set last fall,” Chermel said.

“So we feel really comfortable with our partners out on the court with us.”

Chermel and Uscinski both see eye-to-eye with their doubles matches.

“It’s nice to have someone else out there,” Uscinski said. “We’re comfortable and it helps when your partner keeps you pumped up.”

The Cyclones will start competition at 4 p.m. Saturday against the Sooners, and matches against the Cowboys will begin Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Both meets will be held in Oklahoma City.