ISU Finishes Regular Season With A 7-0 Win

AMES, Iowa - Iowa State tennis honored their graduating seniors today with a 7-0 win over Augustana (S.D.) in the last home match of the season. Rain brought the match inside to the Ames Racquet and Fitness Center, along with Senior Day honors.

“I thought they were a very good team,” head coach Armando Espinosa said. “We did not expect to be pushed as much as we were. They made us play.”

The Cyclones fought for the early doubles point. Senior Meghan Cassens and junior Ana Gasparovic earned a win over Berkley Darr and Heather Sullivan at No. 2 doubles, 6-0, to kick off play for the day. Augustana's Sydney Postal and Jessa Richards answered with a 6-1 win at No. 1 over senior Ksenia Pronina and sophomore Samantha Budai, but ISU clinched the point with a 6-4 win from senior Caroline Andersen and sophomore Natalie Phippen. The pair took down Jenna Helleberg and Meredith Lawrence, 6-3.

Cassens showed skill during the last regular season match, and her last home match as a Cyclone, with a 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 3 singles over Christine Olivo. Sophomore Sami Budai defeated Jessa Richards at No. 1, 6-1, 6-4, to bring the Cyclones up 3-0. Senior Ksenia Pronina clinched the win for ISU with a win over Sydney Postal at No. 2, 7-6(1), 6-0.

The Cyclones rounded out the match with wins at the bottom half of the lineup, including a 10-point tiebreaker win from Phippen.

“At No. 1 they were good, at No. 2 they were very good,” Espinosa said. “I was pretty happy with how we competed. Ksenia did a great job coming back after being down. Natalie did a great job coming back in the tie breaker, so I was really happy with how we competed.”

The win rounded out the regular season for Iowa State. The team will head to Waco, Texas, for the Big 12 Championships, April 23-26.

“We just need to have the same kind of intensity we've had in the past,” Espinosa said. “Yesterday we played very well. Oklahoma State was a very good team, but we were toe-to-toe with them in the first set. If we can play that level, then I think we can give ourselves an opportunity to win in the first round.”

Iowa State 7, Augustana (SD) 0
Singles competition
1. Budai, Samantha (ISU) def. Richards, Jessa (AUGIE) 6-1, 6-4
2. Pronina, Ksenia (ISU) def. Postal, Sydney (AUGIE) 7-6 (7-1), 6-0
3. Cassens, Meghan (ISU) def. Olivo, Christine (AUGIE) 6-1, 6-0
4. Phippen, Natalie (ISU) def. Darr, Berkley (AUGIE) 2-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-7)
5. Gasparovic, Ana (ISU) def. Helleberg, Jenna (AUGIE) 6-1, 6-0
6. Andersen, Caroline (ISU) def. Lawrence, Meredith (AUGIE) 6-1, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. Richards, Jessa/Postal, Sydney (AUGIE) def. Pronina, Ksenia/Budai, Samantha (ISU) 6-1
2. Cassens, Meghan/Gasparovic, Ana (ISU) def. Darr, Berkley/Sullivan, Heather (AUGIE) 6-0
3. Phippen, Natalie/Andersen, Caroline (ISU) def. Lawrence, Meredith/Helleberg, Jenna (AUGIE) 6-3

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Players Mentioned

Samantha Budai

Samantha Budai

Meghan Cassens

Meghan Cassens

Ana Gasparovic

Ana Gasparovic

Natalie Phippen

Natalie Phippen

Ksenia Pronina

Ksenia Pronina

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