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Iowa State University Athletics
2020-21 Iowa State Tennis Season Review
06.03.2021 | Tennis
AMES, Iowa - The 2020-21 Iowa State tennis team will go down in school history as the team that re-wrote the record books during a record-setting season. This Cyclone squad finished 14-8 overall, won a school-record four conference matches, won the first Big 12 Tournament match in school history and became the first ISU team to reach the NCAA Tournament. It was a season to remember.
KEY STORYLINES
- In Boomer Saia's third season at the helm, Iowa State has redifined Cyclone Tennis ... the Cyclones finished the season 14-8 overall and 4-4 in Big 12 play, the four wins being a school record.
- ISU was ranked No. 34 in the final polls of the season ... the Cyclones have been ranked 11 consecutive weeks.
- Thasaporn Naklo and Miska Kadleckova were ranked in the final ITA singles poll of the season ... Naklo was No. 57, the best individual ranking in school history ... Kadleckova was ranked No. 125.
- ISU had wins over five top-50 teams this season, the first five top-50 wins in school history.
- Saia's .537 winning percentage is the best in school history among coaches with at least three seasons at the school,
- Iowa State upset No. 24 South Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
- The Cyclones won the first Big 12 Tournament match in school history, beating No. 29 Texas Tech, 4-1.
HISTORY MADE
- In a moment 48 years in the making, Iowa State finally heard its name called during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show.
- The Cyclones made their first tournament appearance after posting their 10th winning season and second in three years under Saia.
CANCINI BREAKS RECORDS
-Â Senior Maty Cancini broke the school record with her 160th overall win against Texas Tech at the Big 12 Championships ... she also tied the doubles wins record with 86 wins.
BEST START
- Iowa State's 7-0 start matched the best in program history, tying the 1973-74 start, which was the program's inaugural season.
CABEZAS & KADLECKOVA MAKE IMMEDIATE IMPACT
-Â Sofia Cabezas and Miska Kadleckova didn't arrive at Iowa State until spring and both players made an instant impact.
- Cabezas won her first six decisions and started 8-0 before suffering her first defeat.
- Kadleckova opened her freshman season with 10 consecutive singles victories before losing ... she finished 16-3 overall in singles action and 13-7 in doubles play, putting together arguably the best freshman campaign in school history.
TAKING ON TEXAS
-Â ISU was 0-96 against Big 12 schools from the state of Texas entering a 2019 match against Baylor in Saia's first season ... the Cyclones went on to beat the Bears, 4-3, to snap the skid.
- This season, ISU beat Texas Tech for the first time in 29 tries and two days later, the Cyclones won against TCU for the first time, snapping a seven-match skid to the Horned Frogs.
THE CLOSER
-Â Chie Kezuka has set herself up as the Cyclone closer ... she closed ISU's win against South Carolina, her fifth of the season.
5-6 SUCCESS
-Â Iowa State's Kezuka and Cabezas are a combined 21-9 at No. 5 and No. 6.
RIGHT AT HOME
-Â Iowa State has won its last 17 home matches, a streak that dates back to the final weekend of the 2018-19 season ... the Cyclones are 21-3 at home under Saia.
Players Mentioned
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