April 11, 2012
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THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa women’s tennis team hosts Michigan State and Michigan this weekend at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex. The Hawkeyes entertain the Spartans (8-10, 0-7 Big Ten) on April 13 at 5 p.m. (CT), before playing the 14th-ranked Wolverines (13-6, 6-1 Big Ten) on April 15 at noon (CT). Live scoring will be available on the women’s tennis schedule page at hawkeyesports.com. Admission is free.
THIS WEEKEND AT THE HTRC
The Hawkeyes’ Friday match against Michigan State will be this year’s “Gold Match.” Fans are encouraged to wear gold. The UI Marketing department will distribute gold pom-poms and provide free pizza. Fans who attend Sunday’s match against Michigan will receive an autographed team poster.
ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK
Iowa is 6-1 at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex this season, the Hawkeyes best home start since the 2004 team began 7-0. Iowa won its first six home matches this season for the first time since 2008.
HAWKEYE HISTORY VS. SPARTANS, WOLVERINES
The Hawkeyes are 28-13 all-time against Michigan State. Iowa defeated the Spartans, 4-3, in 2011 at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex. Michigan leads the all-time series with the Hawkeyes, 31-12. The Wolverines topped Iowa, 7-0, last season in Iowa City.
SONJA SLAYS SPARTANS
Senior Sonja Molnar is 3-0 in her career against Michigan State. Molnar has scored three straight-set decisions against the Spartans. She topped Amy Barton, 6-0, 6-1, as a junior, Michaela Silesova, 6-0, 6-1, as a sophomore and Stephanie Kebler, 6-1, 6-4, as a freshman. Molnar won 96 singles matches in her Hawkeye career. She is four wins away from joining Milica Veselnovic (113 career wins) and Laura Dvorak (102 wins) as the only Hawkeyes in program history to win 100 career singles matches.
BIG TEN PARITY
Six of the Iowa’s seven Big Ten opponents have been ranked by the ITA. The Big Ten currently has nine teams tabbed in the ITA team poll. Eleven Big Ten teams have been ranked at some point this season. The Hawkeyes have been ranked as high No. 58. Iowa’s last appearance in the rankings was on April 3 at No. 72. Iowa will face its seventh ranked conference opponent Sunday against No. 14 Michigan. The Wolverines were one of four Big Ten teams tabbed in the top-25 on April 10. They were joined by Northwestern (No. 11), Nebraska (No. 17) and Illinois (No. 23).
ITA RANKINGS
Senior Sonja Molnar moved up 12 spots in the ITA singles rankings on April 10. Molnar went from No. 115 to No. 103. The Guelph, Ontario, native owns a team-best 12-5 (3-3 Big Ten) dual record. Michigan, the Hawkeyes’ Sunday opponent, had three student-athletes ranked in the poll. Emina Bektas (No. 11), Brooke Bolender (No. 75) and Mimi Nguyen (No. 114) all appeared for the Wolverines. In addition, Bektas and Bolender were tabbed the sixth-best doubles duo in the country by the ITA.
TALCOTT PLAYS AT TOP SPOT
Freshman Shelby Talcott competed at the No. 1 singles position for the first time this season on April 8 against No. 34 Purdue. Talcott pushed the Boilermakers’ top player, Jennifer Rabot, to three sets before falling 6-7, 6-2, 1-0 (10-8). Talcott has played at the No. 2 spot in 16 of the Hawkeyes’ 18 dual matches. The Long Island, N.Y., native is 6-11 in dual play.