ISU Tennis Falls in Big 12 First Round

Thursday, April 26

Kansas City, Mo.

12:00 PM

Iowa State

Oklahoma State

ISU Tennis Falls in Big 12 First Round

04.26.2007 | Tennis

By: cyclones.com

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Iowa State tennis team fell to No. 71 Oklahoma State 4-0, in the first round of the 2007 Big 12 Tennis Championships at the Plaza Tennis Center Thursday afternoon. The Cyclones were unable to gain momentum on the cool 50 degree overcast day.

In doubles action, OSU's No. 1 duo of Yawna Allen and Natalia Shatkovskaya topped ISU's No. 1 tandem of Kara Hickey and Eve Soriano, 8-0. In the No. 2 slot, ISU's duo of Jill Palen and Caitlin Loprinzi were defeated by OSU's team of Lauren Simmons and Iryna Tkachenko, 8-4. In the No. 3 slot, ISU's tandem of Chrissy Derouin and Alyssa Palen had a tight match going with OSU's Jennifer Poskitt and Marta Tsivka before it was called due to the Cowgirls' winning the other two doubles matches.

"We felt really good going into our singles matches," head coach Michele Conlon said.

The Cyclones finished three of the six possible singles matches before the Cowgirls clinched the meet and the other three matches were stopped. The match was called when ISU's Soriano was upended by Oklahoma State's Poskitt, 6-1, 6-2. ISU's Jill Palen was leading 4-1 in the second set against OSU's Tkachenko. OSU's No. 1 singles player had defeated Palen 6-1, 6-0, back on April 7, in Ames.

"I think the fact that Jill lost 6-1, 6-0, to her just a couple of weeks ago and was ahead 4-1 in the second set today, is a real tribute to how Jill played today," Conlon said.

In the No. 3 singles slot, ISU's Loprinzi was defeated by OSU's Shatkovskaya 6-4, 6-1. In the No. 4 slot, ISU freshman Alyssa Palen fell to OSU's Simmons 6-3, 6-0.

"I thought the team gave an outstanding effort overall, and I was really proud of the them," Conlon said.

Thursday's match marked the final time ISU seniors, Jill Palen, Eve Soriano, and Danielle Uscinski, will step on the court in their Cyclone uniform.

The Cyclones finish their season with an overall record of 5-13 and an 0-11 mark in Big 12 play.