Iowa State hosted Iowa in Urbandale, Iowa, for the 52nd time in the matchup’s history and lost 5-2 to the Hawkeyes. This is the first time the Hawkeyes have beaten the Cyclones since 2019.
In singles play, Anna Supapitch Kuearum and Valeska San Martin Ramirez won with scores of 6-3, 6-1 for Kuearum and 7-6 (11-9), 3-6, 1-0 (10-8) for San Martin Ramirez. Isabella Dunlap, Ashlee Narker and Gala Arangio all lost their singles match.
In doubles, Supapitch Kuearum and Dunlap were victorious with a score of 6-4 while Narker and San Martin Ramirez lost their match 7-5.
Iowa begins the match with a headstart
For the fourth time in this young season, Iowa State has been shorthanded, giving the Hawkeyes a 1-0 lead with no player available in the sixth singles spot. In Friday’s match, sophomore Juliette Nask was unavailable for the Cyclones.
Fielding a roster of six players does not allow for much room for error, needing all six players to be healthy to fill all singles and doubles spots. A normal roster of 7-8 players gives teams the flexibility to let a player heal and not give the other team an automatic point.
Kuearum dominates nationally ranked opponent
After a three-match slide, Kuearum was set to match up against No. 85 Daianne Hayashida. Kuearum started the night with a doubles victory alongside her partner Dunlap, and she carried the momentum into singles play.
An early lead helped fuel Kuearum for the rest of the match, winning the match 6-3, 6-1. This match also marks her first ranked singles match victory of the season. She had three ranked singles victories in the 2022-23 season.
Cy-Hawk win streak ended
The three-match win streak for Iowa State against their in-state rival Hawkeyes ended Friday. The win streak was the second longest for Iowa State, the first was a five-match span between 1974 and 1976. The last loss in the 2018-19 season was the first season under head coach Boomer Saia, making the two situations look eerily similar as current head coach Jaron Maestas is in his first season leading the Cyclones.
This loss also gives Iowa a 13-8 lead in the Cy-Hawk series, guaranteeing the win for the Hawkeyes, as Iowa State will not be able to come back with only two sports left to play.
Iowa State extended its losing streak to four matches, dropping to 2-4 overall. The Cyclones have one match to play before Big 12 Conference play, taking on Oregon at 10 a.m. Sunday in Iowa City, Iowa.
