Completed Event: Tennis versus Blue Gray National Tennis Classic on September 12, 2025 ,
Final
Tennis
Blue Gray National Tennis Classic
Iowa State University Athletics
Friday, September 29
Omaha, Neb.
All Day
Iowa State
vs
Bluejay Invitational
Karen Alvarez
Alvarez To Compete At Bluejay Invite
09.27.2017 | Tennis
AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State tennis team will send sophomore Karen Alvarez to compete at the Bluejay Invite Friday and Saturday in Omaha, Nebraska.
Past Performances
As a freshman, Alvarez finished 7-8 in singles play. In doubles action, she completed the season with a record of 14-13, including a six-match winning streak alongside doubles partner Regina Espindola.
At her 2017-18 season debut, the Gopher Invitational, Alvarez went 2-3 in doubles, while she's still searching for her first singles win after starting 0-3. Alvarez partnered with Espindola on the first day of the invite, but the pair fell 7-5 against River Hart and Caroline Ryba of the University of Minnesota. Afterwards, Alvarez teamed up with Golden Gopher Kalyssa Hall. The duo went on to defeat a pair from South Dakota, but fell to Nebraska in the championship round.
Getting Stronger
Alvarez will receive plenty of playing time this weekend as she will be the only Cyclone to participate in the Bluejay Invite.
Head coach Armando Espinosa has a similar outlook towards the tournament as he did to last weekend's Gopher Invitational. Much like the team's trip to Minneapolis, the Bluejay Invite will serve as a way for Alvarez to gain more playing time. Espinosa hopes this will lead towards additional improvement and preparation for the spring season.
"The main objective for the weekend is to get as many matches as we can for her," said Espinosa. "The more we compete, the better we get."
Alvarez is also looking forward to receiving more time on the court.
"I got sick last weekend, so I wasn't able to play that much," said Alvarez. "I hope this weekend will be better for me and that I can get more match play and feel better on the court."
Tournament Format
The Creighton women's tennis team will host the Bluejay Invitational at the Koch Family Tennis Center in Omaha, Nebraska, Sept. 29-Oct. 1.
Alvarez will play in Flight C, facing Doane's Ellie Bender. In the second match, which will be played Saturday, Alvarez will face either Colorado State's Emma Corwin or North Dakota's Jaylee Yasunaga.
Participants
Seven teams will participate in the Bluejay Invite, including: Creighton, Nebraska-Omaha, Colorado State, Iowa State, North Dakota, Doane and Gustavus Adolphus.
Stay Updated
Follow the tennis team on Facebook and Twitter (@CycloneTEN) and visit Cyclones.com for daily recaps and updates.
Players Mentioned
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