Iowa State heads to Lawrence, Kansas, for the final battle of its three-match road trip to take on No. 57 Kansas on Saturday.
The match is also the first time head coach Jaron Maestas faces off against the Jayhawks, where he spent the last two seasons as the associate head coach. He went 15-11 and 15-8 in those seasons and earned one NCAA tournament victory last year.
The Cyclones are coming off a 7-0 loss to No. 1 Oklahoma State, extending their losing streak to seven and a 2-7 record overall. Despite starting the season 2-0, the Cyclones have struggled to get in a groove and put it all together for another win.
The match will also be the Cyclone’s fourth-straight ranked opponent, a tough stretch for a young, inexperienced team like Iowa State, or any team for that matter. However, Iowa State likely played in its toughest match of the season against Oklahoma State and will look to build off that in the rest of Big 12 play.
The Jayhawks are coming off a 4-1 win against Kansas State, a team that has struggled since it dominated Iowa State 6-1. Although the Jayhawks are ranked No. 57, they hold a 3-7 record and lost four in a row before their win against Kansas State.
Like many of Iowa State’s recent matchups, it has not historically fared well against the Jayhawks but has been successful in recent years. Kansas leads the series 38-8, but Iowa State has won the last four, including a 4-1 win in Lawrence last season.
The Cyclone’s best player and first singles player, Anna Supapitch Kuearum, will look to get back on track after a near upset of the No. 9 ranked player from Oklahoma State. Kansas has been more-or-less mediocre from the first singles slot this season, with two players combining for a 2-6 record.
Another pair of Cyclones will be trying to get back on track as well. Ashlee Narker and Valeska San Martin Ramirez started the year hot, with a 3-0 record from the second doubles spot but have since dropped three straight. The three-straight losses have contributed to the Cyclones not winning a doubles point since Feb. 9, exactly a month before Saturday’s match will be played. Gaining that momentum before singles would be crucial to the Cyclone’s success.
Iowa State heads to the Sunflower State to take on the Jayhawks. The match kicks off at noon on Saturday.
