After just two weeks of practice, the ISU women’s tennis team opened its fall season at Minnesota’s Gopher Invitational in Minneapolis this weekend.

Head coach Michele Conlon said she liked the quick start to the season.

“The early start benefits players by allowing them to experience match play earlier,” she said.

Sophomore Elizabeth Chermel also said she liked the early tournament.

“The tournament lets us experiment with doubles combinations and gives us a good picture of what we need to improve,” Chermel said.

Despite a lack of practice time, the Cyclones won three of four doubles matches and four of six singles matches in Friday’s opening round of the tournament.

The team’s two freshmen, Jill Palen and Danielle Uscinski, both won singles matches during Friday’s play. Palen defeated Marla Menne of Gustavus Adolphus 6-2, 6-1. Uscinski tallied a 6-1, 6-0 victory against Wisconsin-Green Bay’s Amanda Dworak.

Sophomore Eve Soriano said the ISU newcomers are vitally important on a team that returned only four players from last year’s squad.

“The freshmen are really positive,” Soriano said. “Everybody’s on the same page as a team.”

Returning players also performed well. Sophomore Charlotte Ljungkrantz won three of her four matches. She lost to Beth Messaros of Denver 6-2, 6-4 on Friday but rallied to two victories on Saturday. Ljungkrantz beat Athanasia Giannoulopoulou of Illinois-Chicago 6-2, 6-1 and Amy Meissher of Wisconsin-Green Bay 6-0, 6-0. Sunday, she shut out Christina Oum of Illinois-Chicago 8-0.

In doubles play, Soriano and senior Sabrina Evers won both of their matches, 9-8(6) and 8-4.

The victories were a positive sign for a team looking to bounce back from an 0-12 record in Big 12 play last season, Soriano said.

“We’re very focused in practice and are working hard,” Soriano said. “I think we’ll have a good year.”

Conlon was pleased with her players’ effort.

“The returning players put in a lot of time over the summer,” she said. “Their work will show up in the results.”

The team doesn’t play again until Oct. 10 at Northwestern’s Wildcat Invitational in Evanston, Ill.

“We have a few weeks of practice between tournaments to adjust and improve our game,” Conlon said.

With the fall season just now underway, the team is optimistic.

“There’s a positive atmosphere [at practice],” Soriano said.