In the third and final match of Iowa State’s road trip, the Cyclones are leaving Lawrence, Kansas, with a 5-2 loss against the No. 57 Jayhawks.
The Cyclones had trouble beginning doubles and started to pick it up too late. Anna Supapitch Kuearum and Isabella Dunlap were down 5-1 but won two straight to make it 5-3 before the match was stopped due to Ashlee Narker and Valeska San Martin Ramirez dropping their match 6-3. The third doubles match was forfeited, giving Kansas the doubles point.
Iowa State battled in singles but could not mount a comeback from the quick 2-0 deficit. Dunlap and Gala Arangio both lost their matches in straight sets. Dunlap lost her first set 6-0 and hit a ball to the side in frustration, fueling a 5-2 lead to begin the second set. The frustration was not enough though, and she lost 7-5. Arangio lost her match 6-0, 6-2. San Martin Ramirez lost her match 4-6, 6-3, 3-6.
Kuearum and Narker both won their matches, the latter 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, and the former 4-6, 7-6, 1-0 (4) to give the Cyclones their two points.
Lost the 50/50 points early
In the first set of Kuearum, Narker and San Martin Ramirez singles match, they all knotted up with their opponents 4-4. At this point, the door seemed like it was open for the Cyclones, but Kuearum and San Martin Ramirez both lost 6-4, handing the momentum over to the Jayhawks.
Kuearum ended up coming back and winning her match but San Martin Ramirez could not do the same. If the Cyclones were able to win the first set in all three of those matches, they could have shifted the outlook of the match to be in their favor.
The ability to dig deep and continue to battle in those late-set situations can be the difference between losses and wins. Iowa State was unable to do that in Saturday’s match against Kansas.
Trailed big early
After losing the doubles point and no player in the sixth singles spot, Arangio lost her match quickly and Iowa State found themselves trailing 3-0 early in the match.
Although each player plays individually and a deficit does not impact how the match is played, it can be a mental factor in how a player approaches their match.
There’s no place like home
After a tough three-match stretch on the road, the Cyclones head home for two matches against new Big 12 foe BYU and Texas Tech. Regardless of the sport or the opponent, home-court advantage plays a role in how a team approaches the match and how confident they may feel.
Iowa State will need a lot of home-court advantage for these next two as BYU is currently ranked 37th and Texas Tech is 24th. If those two stay in the rankings come Wednesday, that will be six matches in a row against ranked opponents for the Cyclones.
The Cyclones have now dropped eight straight matches, standing at 2-8 overall and 0-3 in conference play. They will take the court once again on Thursday against BYU for the first time as a conference opponent at 4 p.m. Thursday and will be played either in Ames or Urbandale.
