Iowa State lost 6-1 to the No. 35 BYU Cougars in the Cyclones’ first home conference match in Urbandale, Iowa.
The Cyclones started fast in doubles, as all three Iowa State pairs went up 1-0 to begin their matches. Gala Arangio and Valeska San Martin Ramirez kept it close for the next few games but ended up losing 6-3. Ashlee Narker and Juliette Nask were even with their opponents to a score of 5-5 but dropped the last two, losing 7-5 to give BYU the doubles point. Anna Supapitch Kuearum and Isabella Dunlap were leading 5-4 before the match went unfinished due to the other two matches resulting in BYU wins.
Kuearum lost a singles match in straight sets for the first time since the Cyclones’ loss to No. 12 UCLA with a score of 7-6 (7-2), 6-2. Dunlap, San Martin Ramirez, Nask and Arangio all lost their matches in straight sets. Dunlap lost 6-2, 6-2, San Martin Ramirez lost 6-3, 6-1, Nask lost 6-0, 6-2 and Arangio lost 6-1, 6-1. Narker was Iowa State’s lone winner, winning 7-5, 6-3.
Back at full strength
For the first time since Feb. 9, Iowa State could field a complete roster of six players. However, a roster at full strength did not correlate with success.
Nask was the Cyclone who had been dealing with injury and was finally back in the lineup, playing third doubles and fifth singles. Nask and Narker almost pulled out the victory in doubles, losing 7-5, but Nask struggled in singles with the 6-0, 6-2 loss.
Longest losing streak since 2016-17
In 2016-17, Iowa State had a 15-11 record but lost the last nine matches of the season, including eight of the nine being 4-0 sweeps.
Additionally, the past three Iowa State head coaches have had a losing record in their first season at the team’s helm.
Iowa State has had four-straight winning seasons under coach Boomer Saia, but with a record of 2-9 and only nine matches left, extending that streak to five is nearly out of the question for new coach Jaron Maestas.
Narker hits .500 in singles
Narker won her match Thursday 7-5, 6-3, and is now 4-4 in singles on the year. Narker is the second Cyclone with a winning record in singles this year, the other being Kuearum, who is now 6-5.
If the tandem of Narker and Kuearum can keep it up and the Cyclones can find success in doubles, they may be able to capture a win in the near future and end the losing streak.
The Cyclones will be back in Ames, Iowa, for the first time this season, taking on No. 27 Texas Tech on Saturday.
