The Iowa State women’s tennis team played its final home match of the season last Friday against Kansas, and suffered a 9-0 defeat to the top 25 ranked Jayhawks. For two of the Cyclones, Friday’s match was their last home match ever.

Seniors Erika Asmuss and Angie Miller will finish their ISU careers at the Big 12 Tournament the weekend of April 25-27.

The Cyclones faced stiff competition from a Jayhawk’s team that was ranked in the top ten last year and continues to be a national power bouncing around the ranking of 20 this season. ISU head coach Michele Conlon anticipated a difficult match against Kansas. “We knew it would be a tough match for us,” Conlon said. “They are ranked about 20th in the nation.”

Asmuss and Miller were the first recruits that Conlon brought to ISU when she took over the job as head coach in the summer of 1992.

“They have certainly contributed a lot to Iowa State,” Conlon said.

“It is going to be sad to see them go.”

Asmuss, who has been the team’s leader at No. 1 singles since the middle of her sophomore season, lost a tough match to KU’s Christie Sim by a score of 6-1, 6-3.

Asmuss played most of her freshman year at the number four singles spot and compiled a record of 13-11.

After starting out her second season at the number two singles spot, Asmuss jumped to the first singles position and stayed there for the second half of her sophomore campaign earning an 8-4 record.

The 1995-96 season marked Asmuss’ first full season at the first singles spot, and it was a tough one for the Cyclone.

She managed an 11-15 record with a 1-4 mark in conference play.

Miller spent her freshman year at the three, four, five and seven singles positions, while she earned a record of 10-15. Miller split time between the number two and three singles spots during her sophomore year and posted a 6-21 record.

Last season was Miller’s most successful of her first three.

She spent most of her time at the number three singles spot and finished her junior year with a 14-16 record.

Both Asmuss and Miller have played doubles in all four of their seasons and have helped to make the doubles play of the team a major strength for the Cyclones. “Our doubles play has been our strength,” Conlon said.

The Cyclones head to the Big 12 tournament in two weeks, and number two singles player Kendra Leese expects the team to do well. “I think we are real close, maybe we just need a little confidence,” Leese said. “It is going to be tough.”