Iowa State is staying in Texas for its second match in three days to take on No. 52 TCU in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sunday.
The matchup between the Cyclones and Horned Frogs is relatively new compared to other Big 12 opponents, with Saturday being only the 11th time the two teams will face off. TCU leads the series 7-3, but Iowa State has dominated the past three matchups after dropping the first seven. Iowa State took down TCU 4-0 in last year’s matchup in Ames.
Jaron Maestas’ squad is coming off a 5-2 loss to No. 30 Baylor on Friday, in a match where Gala Arangio picked up a first singles win, and Valeska San Martin Ramirez put an end to a six-match losing streak.
TCU is 9-4 and has won their previous two matches against Kansas and Kansas State, which propelled them to climb 13 spots in the ITA rankings. Five of the Horned Frogs’ wins have been sweeps, so they know how to take over and dominate against weaker opponents.
No. 121 Destinee Martins leads the Horned Frogs with a 6-2 record, playing in the second, third, fourth and fifth singles spots. The most recent completed match was a 6-4, 6-4 victory against Kansas State.
Yu-Chin Tsai and Chiho Mushika lead the Horned Frogs in doubles with a 7-3 record. The duo has won four of its last five finished matches, and the only loss was to No. 1 Oklahoma State.
For Iowa State, it is hoping a little mix-up of the lineup will bring the team greater success. Ashlee Narker and Isabella Dunlap flipped from their usual singles spots to switch things up. It did not bring any newfound success against Baylor, as Narker lost 6-3, 6-0, and Dunlap narrowly lost 7-6 (7-5), 0-6, 0-1 (10-7).
Additionally, Juliette Nask played from the fourth singles, and San Martin Ramirez played from the fifth spot, opposite of where they usually play. San Martin Ramirez put together a nice win, but Nask had a tough time and lost in straight sets. Iowa State takes on the Horned Frogs at 1 p.m. Sunday in Fort Worth, Texas. Live stats can be found here.
