The ISU senior tennis players may have played their last match at Iowa State against Baylor on Friday, but their season isn’t over.

The team still has the Big 12 tournament on Thursday at College Station, Texas, and ISU head coach Michele Conlon said that the team will be ready to go.

“I feel good going into the Big 12 tournament,” she said. “Whoever we draw in the tournament, I am certain the team will be ready to play.”

ISU senior Sharla Whitaker said she feels the team will have a great shot at performing well in the tournament.

“Everyone should be hitting their peaks [Thursday] both mentally and physically,” she said.

Iowa State is hoping for a different outcome from Friday’s matchup against Baylor.

It was an emotional day for the team as four seniors took the court for the last time in Ames and lost their last regular season match to Baylor.

The fours seniors, Noortje Cornelissen, Edna Vazquez, Karin Westberg and Whitaker were honored in a senior day ceremony before the match.

Conlon spoke a few words about how much the seniors have meant to the program.

“These seniors have been devoted and committed to on-and off-court demands of being a student-athlete,” Colon said during the ceremony. “I hope that when they take the court for the last time, they will have a sense that this place has meant something to them, because they have meant a lot to me,” she said.

Whitaker said that the Baylor match was extremely emotional for her.

“I was in disbelief that this was my last match here at Iowa State,” she said. “I wanted to strive for excellence and had very high expectations of myself before my singles match.”

The noon match was moved indoors to the Ames Racquet & Fitness Center because the temperature was in the low 50s Friday.

The Cyclones took an early lead against the Bears by winning all three doubles matches and earning the doubles point. Cornelissen and sophomore Sabrina Evers picked up their fourth Big 12 victory at the No. 1 position, winning 8-4. Tara Goedjen and Kristin Gyaki got the win in the No. 2 match, while Vazquez and Courtney Leese sealed the doubles sweep with a victory at the No. 3 position.

“I thought our doubles were outstanding,” Conlon said. “Wining all three doubles matches against a top 30 team shows spirit and persistence from the team.”

Baylor quickly recovered, winning all six singles matches in straight sets to secure the 6-1 win.

With the loss, Iowa State finished the regular season 5-12 overall and 1-10 in the Big 12 Conference.

Whitaker said although the regular season did end with a loss, the team accomplished and exceeded its goals for the season.

“I feel our team exceeded our goals for this season because we received a national ranking for the first time in Iowa State history,” she said. “As seniors, I feel we have taken the team to a higher level and I hope the team will continue to improve in years to come.”

Whitaker said she’ll miss her teammates, her coaches and the experiences she has had as an ISU tennis player.

“My teammates are also my good friends and it will be very difficult not practicing with them every day,” she said.

“The friends and athletes I have met here will never compare to anything else in my life.”