Completed Event: Tennis at #19 TCU on March 15, 2026 , Loss , 0, to, 4
Final
Tennis
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#19 TCU
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Iowa State University Athletics
Cyclones Open Competition At Pair Of Tournaments
10.19.2012 | Tennis
AMES, Iowa – Back in action after over one month's break, the Iowa State tennis team wrapped up opening day at the Kansas Fall Invitational and ITA Regional Championship tournaments.
In Lawrence, four Cyclones challenged opponents from all around the country at the Kansas Fall Invitational. Iowa State head coach Armando Espinosa noted that the team's performance was the best he'd seen yet this season.
“It was a long day indoors, but the girls were focused on the tasks at hand and I felt they did a really good job all around,” Espinosa said. “It was a huge improvement across the board from the Drake Invitational.”
Iowa State sophomore Meghan Cassens ousted Little Rock's Viktoriya Plyuta in her first match, capturing Iowa State's first singles win of the tournament. The Tacoma, Wash. native took the contest 6-2, 6-3.
“Meghan started off a little slow in her match, but she really kept her game up and had a great performance today,” Espinosa said.
Cassens will continue her singles competition and face Kansas State's Carmen Borau Saturday.
Cassens teamed up with Jenna Langhorst to snag two doubles wins. The duo blanked Little Rock's Christel Amsallem and Michaela McShane 8-0 in the first round and continued to control Little Rock's Yana Kakovkina and Kansas' Victoria Khanevskaya 8-6. The pair will battle a UMKC duo tomorrow to continue their pursuit of a bracket title.
“Jenna and Meghan were really good today. They had a lot of intensity and dominated the match,” Espinosa said. “After a shaky start in the second round, they were able to take over and capitalize and win the match.”
Ellie Nixon and Emma Waites nabbed another Iowa State doubles win. They defeated Drake's Mariel Ante and Ali Patterson 8-6 before falling to Kansas' Claire Dreyer and Anastasija Trubica 8-0
“Ellie and Emma did a tremendous job at it. They were able to hold serve every time and beat a very good Drake team,” Espinosa said. “Overall, I was very pleased with doubles today. We were well-prepared mentally and kept getting that ball across the court.”
While their teammates competed in Kansas, Simona Cacciuttolo and Ksenia Pronina represented Iowa State at the ITA Regionals Championships in Tulsa, Okla. Both student-athletes suffered losses in their singles matches and as a pair in the first round. The Cyclones advanced in consolation competition and will continue competing Saturday in pursuit of the singles and doubles consolation titles.
The Cyclones will continue competition at both tournaments through Saturday.
KU
Singles
Amina St. Hill (KSU) def. Emma Waites (ISU) 6-4, 6-1
Veronique Lulsich (A-LR) def. Jenna Langhorst (ISU) 0-1 ret.
Meghan Cassens (ISU) def. Viktoriya Plyuta (A-LR) 6-2, 6-3
Christel Armsallam (A-LR) def. Ellie Nixon (ISU) 6-0, 6-0
Doubles
Waites/Nixon (ISU) def. Ante/Patterson (DU) 8-6
Dreyer/Trubich (KU) def. Waites/Nixon (ISU) 8-0
Cassens/Langhorst (ISU) def. Amsallam/McShane (A-LR) 8-0
Cassens/Langhorst (ISU) def. Khanevskaya (KU)/Kakovkisa (A-LR) 8-6
ITA
Singles
# 4 Yang Pang (UA) def. Simona Cacciuttolo (ISU) 6-2, 6-4
Simona Cacciuttolo (ISU) def. Julia Courter (MN) 1-0 def.
Alice Clark (MU) def. Ksenia Pronina (ISU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
Ksenia Pronina (ISU) def. Slijepcevic (ASU) 6-0, 6-1
Doubles
Muravnik/Brichacova (MN) def. Cacciuttolo/Pronina (ISU) 8-6
In Lawrence, four Cyclones challenged opponents from all around the country at the Kansas Fall Invitational. Iowa State head coach Armando Espinosa noted that the team's performance was the best he'd seen yet this season.
“It was a long day indoors, but the girls were focused on the tasks at hand and I felt they did a really good job all around,” Espinosa said. “It was a huge improvement across the board from the Drake Invitational.”
Iowa State sophomore Meghan Cassens ousted Little Rock's Viktoriya Plyuta in her first match, capturing Iowa State's first singles win of the tournament. The Tacoma, Wash. native took the contest 6-2, 6-3.
“Meghan started off a little slow in her match, but she really kept her game up and had a great performance today,” Espinosa said.
Cassens will continue her singles competition and face Kansas State's Carmen Borau Saturday.
Cassens teamed up with Jenna Langhorst to snag two doubles wins. The duo blanked Little Rock's Christel Amsallem and Michaela McShane 8-0 in the first round and continued to control Little Rock's Yana Kakovkina and Kansas' Victoria Khanevskaya 8-6. The pair will battle a UMKC duo tomorrow to continue their pursuit of a bracket title.
“Jenna and Meghan were really good today. They had a lot of intensity and dominated the match,” Espinosa said. “After a shaky start in the second round, they were able to take over and capitalize and win the match.”
Ellie Nixon and Emma Waites nabbed another Iowa State doubles win. They defeated Drake's Mariel Ante and Ali Patterson 8-6 before falling to Kansas' Claire Dreyer and Anastasija Trubica 8-0
“Ellie and Emma did a tremendous job at it. They were able to hold serve every time and beat a very good Drake team,” Espinosa said. “Overall, I was very pleased with doubles today. We were well-prepared mentally and kept getting that ball across the court.”
While their teammates competed in Kansas, Simona Cacciuttolo and Ksenia Pronina represented Iowa State at the ITA Regionals Championships in Tulsa, Okla. Both student-athletes suffered losses in their singles matches and as a pair in the first round. The Cyclones advanced in consolation competition and will continue competing Saturday in pursuit of the singles and doubles consolation titles.
The Cyclones will continue competition at both tournaments through Saturday.
KU
Singles
Amina St. Hill (KSU) def. Emma Waites (ISU) 6-4, 6-1
Veronique Lulsich (A-LR) def. Jenna Langhorst (ISU) 0-1 ret.
Meghan Cassens (ISU) def. Viktoriya Plyuta (A-LR) 6-2, 6-3
Christel Armsallam (A-LR) def. Ellie Nixon (ISU) 6-0, 6-0
Doubles
Waites/Nixon (ISU) def. Ante/Patterson (DU) 8-6
Dreyer/Trubich (KU) def. Waites/Nixon (ISU) 8-0
Cassens/Langhorst (ISU) def. Amsallam/McShane (A-LR) 8-0
Cassens/Langhorst (ISU) def. Khanevskaya (KU)/Kakovkisa (A-LR) 8-6
ITA
Singles
# 4 Yang Pang (UA) def. Simona Cacciuttolo (ISU) 6-2, 6-4
Simona Cacciuttolo (ISU) def. Julia Courter (MN) 1-0 def.
Alice Clark (MU) def. Ksenia Pronina (ISU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
Ksenia Pronina (ISU) def. Slijepcevic (ASU) 6-0, 6-1
Doubles
Muravnik/Brichacova (MN) def. Cacciuttolo/Pronina (ISU) 8-6
Players Mentioned
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