Iowa State takes on Houston in its final regular season match of the season Sunday in Ames.
The Cyclones lost 4-0 against No. 55 UCF on Friday and were handed their 16th loss of the year. Iowa State is sitting at 3-16 overall and 1-11 in the Big 12.
Iowa State and Houston have played once before, in 2012. The match was played in Houston, and the Cougars handed the Cyclones a 4-3 loss.
Similarly to the Cyclones, Houston has found little success this year, with a 2-17 record and 0-12 Big 12 record. Houston is the only team behind Iowa State in the Big 12 standings, and the match Sunday plays a role in the seeding for the Big 12 Championships.
The Cougars have lost four straight matches, most recently to No. 54 Kansas 4-0. Houston’s two wins came against Louisiana and Prairie View A&M. The Cougars’ win against Louisiana was the first match of the season and they won 4-3.
No Cougar player has a winning record in singles, and they have tried moving players around the lineup all year to try and get something going. Two players have played first singles, three have played second and third singles and five have played fourth, fifth and sixth singles.
The Cougars’ doubles pairing of Sonya Kovalenko and Sophie Schouten hold a 7-10 record from the first doubles spot. The duo is on a two-match slide but is still considered a bright spot for this Houston team.
As for Iowa State, the team hopes to bounce back after a poor performance against UCF. The match was the first time the Cyclones had been swept in four matches, and Iowa State was at a huge disadvantage from the start.
Isabella Dunlap was out for a second straight match, giving the Golden Knights an automatic singles point and an easier path to the doubles point.
Anna Supapitch Kuearum, who leads Iowa State with a 9-8 record from the first singles spot, struggled to piece together points against UCF. Kuearum lost in straight sets 6-0, 6-2.
The other Cyclone to lose their singles match Friday was Juliette Nask. Nask lost the match in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2.
Iowa State prepares for its last regular season match of the year against Houston at 10 a.m. Sunday at the Ames High Tennis Complex.
