Women’s tennis finding mixed results

By: Nolan Nickerson

The women’s tennis team has bounced up and down in recent competitions.

On Saturday, April 9, the team faced off against Linn Mar and Cedar Rapids Xavier at UNI. The team lost to Linn Mar but bounced back against Xavier by dominating the Saints 8-1.

The Tigers are loaded with seniors, including Madison McCann, Becky Hughes, Rachel Paup and Mary Anton, and behind the seniors are two juniors, Kalleigh Kress and Megan Saak to round out the varsity team. The early part of the season hasn’t gone exactly as planned for the Tigers, but at times they have shown what the experienced team is capable of going forward.

“I love this team and the effort everyone puts in every single day. I feel like we haven’t shown our potential yet, but I know we will,” junior Kalleigh Kress said.

On Tuesday, April 12, the Tigers built on the performance against Xavier when they swept Waterloo East 9-0 at home. The dominate showing by the Tigers is yet another glimpse at what the team is capable of moving forward. “We just play one game, one match at a time. Nobody has a huge ego or anything. We are all just playing for each other and not just ourselves.”

That unselfish attitude is the key to any team’s success as it is beginning to pay off with the team going a combined 17-1 in the last 18 matches until this week.

But this past Tuesday, April 19, the team hit a bump in the road  in facing off against a tough Iowa City High team, falling 1-8 at Robinson Dresser courts in Cedar Falls. The lone match was won by Hughes and McCann in doubles. Paup and McCann came the closest to beating their individual opponents, both falling 7-10.

Next up for the Tigers is a home meet this Saturday, April 23 against Cedar Rapids Jefferson and Cedar Rapids Prairie.