As the preseason draws to a close, the Cyclones have had plenty of time to take stock of their talent. Now that only one tournament remains, the team will try and put together the pieces of its roster.

The Cyclones will travel to Daytona, Fla., on Friday to take part in the Juan Varon Wildcat Invitational. This tournament will be the final chance the Cyclones have to see what they have on the roster and solidify a true starting lineup for the regular season in January.

The goal of the team was to have the lineup set before the Wildcat Invitational, but a number of factors derailed its attempts. The Cyclones have suffered injuries that have kept players out, but their major issue was disciplinary.

Before the Drake Jamboree, two freshmen players were held out of the tournament for violating team rules. This took away a great chance to gain experience and see where they would fit in the lineup.

“Coming into Florida, we are dealing with more limitations than we wanted,” said ISU coach Armando Espinosa. “We will have our two players back, so that will let us see a more complete team.”

Although they have had issues building the lineup, some players have taken it upon themselves to take the decision out of the coach’s hands. Junior Samantha Budai and freshman Liza Buss have emerged as a top-flight doubles tandem, finishing with an almost perfect, one-loss record through two competitions.

The Budai/Buss team has laid claim to the No. 1 spot, but that doesn’t mean deciding on the next two positions will be any easier. The Cyclones have mixed and matched pairs throughout the fall to see if they could get something to click. To this point, six different combinations have competed in either the two or three spot.

“I think it’s really up for grabs,” Budai said. “Armando has mixed up the teams a lot, but everyone has played fairly well with whoever they’ve been paired with, so we’ll just have to see how they play this weekend.”

The Cyclones have also seen a new face explode onto the singles scene. Anna Kuuttila is a graduate senior who came to the team after taking a year off from collegiate tennis. She has shown her experience and talents early, cruising to a 7-1 record, and making a solid case for the top spot.

“I feel like everyone is playing really well right now,” Kuuttila said. “I know I had a good last tournament, but so did a lot of others. I really couldn’t tell you who would go where in our lineup now, so we will see how it shakes out in Daytona.”

The quick turnaround from Drake to Daytona will be a physical and mental test for the Cyclones. Between its first and second tournament, the team was given an entire month to rest. This time, the Cyclones only have three days at home before traveling.

“It’s going to be a great test for us,” Kuuttila said. “Of course we’re tired, but we get a couple months to rest before the regular season, so it’s a great chance to go out on a positive note.”