No. 7 Texas traveled to Ames, Iowa, and defeated the Cyclones 4-1 in a one-sided match Saturday.
The loss kept the Cyclones at the bottom of the Big 12 standings with a 0-9 record and 2-14 overall record. Texas is closer to the top, sitting second in the Big 12, improving to 8-1 and only behind No. 1 Oklahoma State.
In doubles, Ashlee Narker and Isabella Dunlap took the first game but could not keep that going, losing 6-2. The third-spot doubles of Anna Supapitch Kuearum and Valeska San Martin Ramirez were dominated from the start, losing 6-0. Gala Arangio and Juliette Nask were trailing 5-2 when the match went unfinished.
The Cyclones showed some fight in singles, but there was not much to show for it. Dunlap lost in the first set 6-0 but battled in the second, losing 6-0, 6-2 overall. Nask took on No. 111 Taisiya Pachkaleva and narrowly lost the first set 6-4, but dropped the second 6-1. San Martin Ramirez lost 6-2, 6-1.
Arangio was the Cyclones’ lone winner, defeating the Longhorns’ Maddy MacNeille 6-3, 6-0 on the sixth singles court.
Longest losing streak ever
The fourteen consecutive losses for the Cyclones is the longest losing streak in the team’s history. For a team with a new head coach and five newcomers, having a rough season or struggling to gel is not uncommon.
However, this Iowa State team has reached new lows, losing the most matches in a row for an Iowa State women’s tennis team ever.
In 1982-83 Iowa State lost 11 matches in a row, the second longest losing streak the team has experienced. The head coach at the time was Mark Wesselink, who only spent one year at the helm of the Cyclones.
Arangio earns her second win
Arangio, who started the year 0-8, won her first match of the season and her career against Baylor on March 22 and is now 2-2 in her last four matches.
The victory against Texas was 6-3, 6-0 against MacNeille, who made her season debut in singles.
Chances to pick up a win in the final stretch of the season
Iowa State has finished the Big 12 gauntlet of ranked teams, coming out of it with zero wins to show for it, but the Cyclones have a few weaker opponents to finish off the year.
Despite the Cyclones being last in the Big 12, the final four matches are against teams in the bottom half of the conference as well. In the Big 12, Cincinnati is 1-7, West Virginia is 2-6, UCF is 3-5 and Houston is 0-8.
Iowa State heads to Cincinnati to take on the Bearcats on Friday.
