24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2018-19 | Hawk Talk Monthly — February | Match Notes (PDF) | Hawkeye Fan Shop
THIS WEEK:
The University of Iowa men’s tennis team will host two matches this weekend at the Hawkeye Tennis & Recreation Complex (HTRC) in Iowa City. On Friday, the Hawkeyes will square off against the Miami Hurricanes at 3 p.m. (CT). Iowa will close out the weekend on Sunday against the Utah Utes at 11 a.m. (CT). Admission is free to the public.
WATCH MATCHES ONLINE:
All Iowa home matches are available for fans to watch online for free via Playsight Technology. Click on the “Watch” link on the schedule page on hawkeyesports.com.
THIS YEAR:
• The Hawkeyes (5-0) are off to their best start in five seasons.
• Iowa has won the doubles point in each of the duals, most notably Kareem Allaf and Jonas Larsen are undefeated on court one.
MIAMI BREAKDOWN:
• The Hurricanes enter Friday’s match 5-2 on the season, but have dropped two out their last three matches (losses on the road to No. 8 Texas and No. 3 Mississippi State).
• Miami has two ranked singles players (No. 13 Adria Soriano Barrera and No. 58 Bojan Jankulovski).
• Miami went to NCAA Tournament a year ago and finished with a 15-13 overall record.
• The Hawkeyes won the last meeting in Coral Gables (5-2) on Feb. 4, 2018.
UTAH BREAKDOWN:
• Utah went to NCAA Tournament a year ago and finished with a 19-10 overall record.
• The Utes enter Sunday’s match 5-2 overall, winners of three straight.
• Utah will face Miami on Saturday (Noon) at the HTRC.
• Dan Little is 2-2 on court one this season.
• Randy Cory and Russell Benkaim hold down the No. 1 spot in doubles, with a 4-1 record so far this season.
HAWKEYE NOTABLES:
• Allaf won 11 matches during competition, including seven in a row to capture the ITA Central Regional championship. He became the third Hawkeye to accomplish the feat in school history.
• The regional title earned him a berth in the Oracle Fall National Championships, a first for a Hawkeye since Tyler Cleveland in 1999.
• Allaf is ranked 89th nationally by the ITA this week.
• Sophomores Will Davies and Piotr Smietana were a combined 13-0 in singles competition through the month of January.
• Iowa has outscored opponents, 29-6, in its five Januray matches.
FOLLOW THE HAWKEYES:
Fans can follow the Hawkeyes all season long and receive live match updates on Facebook (facebook.com/IowaMensTennis) and Twitter (@IowaMensTennis). Fans can also get a behind the scenes look on Instagram (iowamenstennis).
HEAD COACH ROSS WILSON:
Ross Wilson, a former two-time NCAA All-American and three-time ITA national doubles champion at Ohio State, is in his fifth season as head coach and sixth year with the Iowa men’s tennis program.
