Cyclones See Success On First Day Of Fall Season

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State opened the fall season with a 4-2 record, including 2-0 in doubles play, playing at the Drake Invitational and Bush's $50,000 Waco Showdown Wildcard Event.

The Cyclones got off to a good start at the Drake Invitational as the duo of Liera Bender and Erin Freeman captured a pair of wins to advance to the semifinals of Flight B doubles play. Bender and Freeman opened with an 8-4 win against North Dakota's Alysse Nakasato and Alex Revenig. The pair followed with an 8-3 win against South Dakota's Yulia Sidenko and Hannah Wich.

Bender and Freeman meet Northern Colorado's Anna Battersby and Courtney Schulte in the semis of the draw Saturday at 9 a.m.

In singles action, Freeman and fellow newcomer Karen Alvarez picked up a pair of wins to advance in Flight C of singles play. Freeman earned a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Creighton's Claire Embree. Alvarez advanced with a 6-1, 6-3 win against Upper Iowa's Jemina Linn Sorman.

In Waco, senior Samantha Budai fell 6-2, 6-0 in the first round of Bush's $50,000 Waco Showdown Wildcard Event to top-100 junior player Jessica Aragon.

Play continues Saturday at both venues, with Budai playing exhibition matches against other eliminated players.

2016 Drake Invitational
Singles – Round 1
Flight B
Astrid Santos (Northern Iowa) def. Liera Bender (ISU), 6-2, 6-1
Flight C
Erin Freeman def. Claire Embree (Creighton), 7-5, 6-4
Karen Alvarez def. Jemina Linn Sorman (Upper Iowa), 6-1, 6-3

Doubles – Flight B
Round 1
Bender/Freeman (ISU) def. Alysse Nakasato/Alex Revenig (North Dakota), 8-4
Round 2
Bender/Freeman (ISU) def. Yulia Sidenko/Hannah Wich (South Dakota), 8-3

Bush's $50,000 Waco Showdown Wildcard Event
First Round
Jessica Aragon def. Sami Budai (ISU), 6-2, 6-0

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Karen Alvarez

Liera Bender

Samantha Budai

Erin Freeman

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics