No. 55 UCF traveled to Ames to take on the Cyclones, and it handed Iowa State a 4-0 loss Friday.
The Cyclones had split their last two matches against Cincinnati and West Virginia and hoped to get their second conference win of the season against the Knights.
In doubles, Anna Supapitch Kuearum and Ashlee Narker lost 6-4 to the Knights’ first doubles squad. Juliette Nask and Valeska San Martin Ramirez lost a close match against UCF’s second doubles team, 7-6 (7-2). The Cyclones were unable to field a third doubles team.
With no player in the sixth spot for Iowa State, UCF started singles play with a 2-0 lead. Kuearum and Nask lost their matches in straight sets. Kuearum lost 6-0, 6-2, and Nask lost 6-3, 6-2. The remaining three Cyclones lost the first set of their matches before they were called off with UCF reaching four points and the win.
Kuearum hot streak snapped
After winning the last two singles matches, Kuearum lost in straight sets 6-0, 6-2 against UCF. Kuearum could not get anything going, and the score showed that.
Kuearum won against West Virginia 6-3, 6-1 and won against Cincinnati 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 6-4. The loss Friday brings Kuearum’s record to 9-8 overall.
First sweep since No. 22 Oklahoma
Iowa State has had little success in the win column, but individual successes have helped the Cyclones avoid being swept since their match against No. 22 Oklahoma on March 28.
The sweep Friday was Iowa State’s sixth time being swept on the season. Five of the six sweeps have been against ranked opponents, including three top-15 opponents in No. 1 Oklahoma State, No. 7 Texas and No. 12 UCLA.
One match left before Big 12 Championships
The Cyclones have one last match against the bottom team in the Big 12, Houston, on Sunday, a match that decides what seed Iowa State will get in the Big 12 Tournament.
Iowa State is currently second to last in the Big 12 with a 1-11 record, and Houston is the only team behind the Cyclones with a 0-11 record. If Iowa State wins Sunday, they could move ahead of Cincinnati since they have the tiebreaker, but a loss could move Iowa State to the bottom of the conference.
Iowa State currently sits with a 3-16 record and a 1-11 Big 12 record.
