MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – For the first time in four weeks, the West Virginia University women’s tennis team returns home to take on Iowa State on Saturday, March 26, at Ridgeview Racquet Club. The contest is set to begin at 11 a.m.

 

West Virginia (6-7, 0-2 Big 12) looks to continue its win streak at home. WVU has previously defeated Toledo (Jan. 29), Cleveland State (Jan. 29) and Buffalo (Feb. 19) this season to maintain a perfect 3-0 record at home. The match is free to all fans, and pizza will be available prior to the contest. The Mountaineers will also sport pink jerseys in support of breast cancer awareness.

 

This is the fifth all-time meeting between West Virginia and Iowa State (12-4, 0-2 Big 12), with the Mountaineers searching for their first win in the all-time series. Last season, WVU fell to ISU in a hard-fought 4-3 battle on March 13, at the Forker Tennis Courts, in Ames, Iowa.

 

“We have had some good battles with Iowa State in the past, and we expect nothing different than another good battle this year,” said third-year coach Miha Lisac. “We are poised enough to take the doubles point this season, and hopefully, we can play ahead this Saturday. Last year, we had to play from behind and play catch up the entire match.”

 

In its last weekend of competition, the Mountaineers dropped a pair of Big 12 matches at then-ranked No. 13 Oklahoma State and Oklahoma on March 19 and March 20, respectively. WVU fell in its Big 12 opener to Oklahoma State, 4-0, at the Greenwood Tennis Center, in Stillwater, Oklahoma. West Virginia then dropped a 4-0 match against Oklahoma, at the Gregg Wadley Indoor, in Norman, Oklahoma.

 

“We were shorthanded against Oklahoma and Oklahoma State,” Lisac noted. “It was a great time for us to gauge how the players step up when faced with a tough situation. There were definitely positives from that weekend that we will look to build upon. It is always great to face some of the top teams in the Big 12 and gauge where we are as a program.”

 

Sophomore Habiba Shaker leads the team in singles play with an overall record of 10-1. Sophomore Carolina Lewis and freshman Paula Goetz each own six singles wins, followed by sophomore Lyn Yuen Choo with five singles victories. The doubles tandem of senior Hailey Barrett and Shaker holds a team-best 7-3 mark at the No. 1 slot this season.

 

In its last weekend of competition, the Cyclones also dropped a pair of Big 12 matches at Oklahoma and Oklahoma State on March 18 and March 20, respectively. ISU fell in its Big 12 opener to Oklahoma, 4-0, at the Gregg Wadley Indoor, in Norman, Oklahoma. Iowa State then dropped a 4-0 match at Oklahoma State on March 20, at the Greenwood Tennis Center, in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

 

Three Cyclones have produced 11 singles wins this spring: Alejandra Galvis (11-2), Annabella Bonadonna (11-3) and Liza Buss (11-4). Samantha Budai also holds a 6-3 record at the No. 1 singles slot, while the duo of Budai and Buss hold an 11-3 record at the No. 1 doubles position.

 

“We are looking to be at our best going into doubles play against Iowa State,” Lisac explained. “The doubles point is extremely important in every match, and we want to play from ahead this time. We are also looking to get better in singles play and handle competitive situations better than we have in the past. Our main goal remains to be at our best at the end of the season when we travel to the conference tournament. For that to happen, we have to push forward and get better as the season goes on.”