Oct. 5, 2010
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THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa women’s tennis team travels to Evanston, Ill., to compete at the Wildcat Invitational Oct. 8-10. Matches will be played outdoors at the Vandy Christie Tennis Center starting at 12 p.m. (CT) Friday. The tournament will continue Saturday and Sunday with play beginning at 9 a.m. (CT).
THE COMPETITION
The Hawkeyes will compete against 10 teams this weekend; Akron, DePaul, Illinois-Chicago, LSU, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wisconsin.
HAWKEYES OPEN SEASON IN DOMINANT FASHION
Iowa opened its season at the UNI Invite Sept. 24-26. The Hawkeyes dominated, collecting 18 singles wins and compiling an 8-3 doubles record. The Black and Gold claimed two singles brackets. Junior Sonja Molnar won the Platinum Flight bracket without losing a set, while senior Jessica Young was victorious in the Gold Flight bracket. Senior Alexis Dorr also played in the Gold Flight bracket, reaching the semifinals. Molnar also teamed with senior Lynne Poggensee-Wei to win the Platinum Flight doubles bracket. Both Hawkeye newcomers, junior Cassandra Escobar and freshman Christina Harazin, made strong first impressions in their debuts. Harzazin won two matches before falling in the semifinals to the eventual champion of the Silver Flight bracket. Escobar, a University of New Orleans transfer, posted a runner-up finish in the Bronze Flight bracket.
MOLNAR TO COMPETE IN ITA ALL-AMERICAN
University of Iowa junior Sonja Molnar will travel to Los Angeles, Cal. to compete in the 26th ITA All-American Invitational October 5-7. The Guelph, Ontario native, who is currently ranked 39th by the ITA, will compete against top players from around the country. Molnar opens play Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. (CT) against Alabama’s Courtney McLane. McLane enters the contest ranked 89th by the ITA. Molnar returns to the All-American Invitational for a second straight season. She finished last year with a 2-2 record at the event. The tournament will once again be played at Riviera Tennis Club.
HEAD COACH Katie Dougherty
Head Coach Katie Dougherty is in her second season at the helm of the women’s tennis team. The Wisconsin alum guided the Black and Gold to new heights in 2010, reaching as high as 18th in the ITA national rankings, the best in program history. The Hawkeyes finished 2010 with a 17-7 overall record and a 6-4 Big Ten record. Iowa placed fourth in the conference and advanced to NCAA postseason competition.