Box Score
Records
Upper Iowa (10-8, 6-3 NSIC) || Minnesota State (2-12, 2-5 NSIC)
Recap
Upper Iowa 6 – Minnesota State 3
The Upper Iowa women's tennis team did what it needed to do on Saturday in Owatonna, Minnesota. The Peacocks have a firm grasp on the fifth spot in the conference standings, but the team needed a win against Minnesota State University - Mankato this weekend to keep pace with the top four teams in the NSIC. UIU did just that with a 6-3 victory over the Mavericks thanks to perfect 2-0 records from four Peacocks.
Saki Kawabata and
Kelly Jachymowski got things going early with an 8-4 victory at #1 singles. The win was the first for the duo this season. The Peacocks then turned to
Iris Verweij and
Victoria Kulbokas as the pair took care of business at #2 with a solid 8-1 victory. Despite a default victory for MSU in the final doubles matchup, the Peacocks were on a roll heading into singles play.
Playing at #1 for the first time since Feb. 9, Kawabata earned a pair of 6-2 victories over her Mavericks' opponent en route to her seventh conference victory of the year and 11th overall in singles. Verweij also swept her opponent as the freshman rolled to a pair of 6-1 victories and improved to 12-3 overall this year. Jachymowski needed a third set to pull out a win on Saturday at #3, but the Lino Lakes, Minnesota native bounced back from an early loss to claim the win, 4-6, 6-0 and 10-4. At #4, Kulbokas capped the win for the visiting team with a dominant second set. After earning a 6-4 first-set victory, Kulbokas earned her eighth win of the season with a 6-0 win in the second set.
The Peacocks improve to 10-8 overall this year and 6-3 in the NSIC with the 6-3 victory over the Mavericks.
Results
Doubles competition
1. Kawabata, Saki/Jachymowski, Kelly (UIU) def. McCanna, Sarah/Bakke, Shealyn (MSU) 8-4
2. Verweij, Iris/Kulbokas, Victoria (UIU) def. Ronney, Alexis/Haakedahl, Alexis (MSU) 8-1
3. Schmidt, Abby/Barr, Danni (MSU) def. No player/No player (UIU), by default
Singles competition
1. Kawabata, Saki (UIU) def. McCanna, Sarah (MSU) 6-2, 6-2
2. Verweij, Iris (UIU) def. Bakke, Shealyn (MSU) 6-1, 6-1
3. Jachymowski, Kelly (UIU) def. Haakedahl, Alexis (MSU) 4-6, 6-0, 10-4
4. Kulbokas, Victoria (UIU) def. Ronney, Alexis (MSU) 6-4, 6-0
5. Schmidt, Abby (MSU) def. Alvarez, Laura (UIU) 6-4, 6-0
6. Barr, Danni (MSU) def. No player (UIU), by default
Up Next
Saturday's match versus MSU was the only weekend contest for UIU this weekend. Now, UIU will prepare for two non-conference games scheduled for next Friday and Sunday. First, the squad will take on Grand View College at 1 p.m. Then, the Peacocks will face Drake University at 9 a.m. to wrap up the weekend. Both matches will be held in Des Moines, Iowa.
