The ISU women’s tennis team made a strong showing at the Lloyd Stokstad Invitational in Des Moines this weekend, hosted by Drake.

Cyclone players won 13 of 19 singles matches and five of six doubles matches on their way to their best finish of the fall season. No team scores were kept at the tournament.

“We played very well,” said sophomore Elizabeth Chermel. “It’s nice to end the season on a positive note.”

Chermel lost her first match 6-4, 6-1 to Nebraska’s Rebecca Harvey, but won both of her next matches to advance to the consolation final of the White singles flight.

Her opponent in the consolation final will be ISU freshman Jill Palen, who shut out Meredith Esbeck of Northern Iowa 6-0, 6-0 and defeated Rebekah Thomas of Drake 6-0, 6-3. The final will be played during one of the team’s practices this week.

Head coach Michele Conlon said intrasquad tournament matches are often completed after tournaments during team practices.

“It’s a usual thing when teams compete in a tournament,” Conlon said.

“More often then not, they don’t finish it at the tournament, if at all. We are looking for match play against other teams at the tournament.”

Conlon said it is a perfect setup for the women because they were planning on playing practice matches this week anyway.

Facing a teammate is more challenging than facing an opponent from another squad, said Chermel.

“Jill and I have practiced together before, so we know what to expect from each other,” she said. “That makes it a little more difficult.”

Sophomores Evangelina Soriano and Charlotte Ljungkrantz, both won consolation finals. Soriano won four of five matches on her way to the White singles flight consolation final, and Ljungkrantz won three straight matches in the consolation bracket.

Doubles play also went well for the Cyclones. The pairing of Ljungkrantz and Palen won both of its matches, defeating teams from Illinois-Chicago and Drake, while Chermel and freshman Danielle Uscinski defeated Northern Iowa and Colorado State pairings.

This weekend’s tournament was the Cyclones’ last of the fall season. Soriano and senior Sabrina Evers will travel to Salt Lake City, Utah, for the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regionals Wednesday through Sunday. The rest of the team will start offseason training schedules in preparation for the spring Big 12 season.

“The fall season lets us get to know each other and bond as a team,” Palen said.

“The tournaments show us what we need to work on as individuals so that we’re ready to go in the spring.”

The spring season opens with the Iowa Invitational in Iowa City on Jan. 23, 2004.