THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa women’s tennis team will kick off its spring season this weekend in Fort Myers, Florida. The Hawkeyes will face Florida Atlantic in the season opener on Friday at noon (CT) before squaring off against Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday at 9 a.m.
FOLLOW LIVE
Fans can follow the duals via live scoring at ioncourt.com. Fans can also follow the action live via the Iowa women’s X account (@iowa_tennis).
THE LINEUP
The Hawkeyes will be introducing three new student-athletes this season — two freshmen and one transfer. Six of the eight players on this year’s roster are international, ranging from Canada to Germany.
A REVIEW
• Iowa posted seven victories against ranked opponents during the 2022-23 season, including a 4-1 victory over No. 31 Illinois in Champaign.
• Iowa finished the regular season tied for fifth place in the Big Ten standings, marking the second time in three seasons that the program has placed fifth or better.
HAYASHIDA AT ITAS
• Sophomore Daianne Hayashida, who is ranked 109th in the ITA singles rankings, had a strong showing at the ITA Midwest Regionals this fall, advancing her way to the quarterfinals.
• She was the first Hawkeye to advance to the regional quarterfinals since Elise van Heuvelen in 2019. Hayashida defeated her first two opponents in straight sets before falling to Oklahoma’s Dana Guzman.
HAWKEYEYES RETURNING
• Iowa welcomes back its No. 1 singles player Marisa Schmidt, who went 5-5 in 10 matches at the top singles spot a season ago. Schmidt also tied for the team lead with three doubles wins at the No. 1 doubles position.
• Sophomore Daianne Hayashida went 10-3 in dual action in 2023, going 4-0 at No. 3 singles and 5-2 at No. 4 singles.
MEHRA’S SENIOR SEASON
Senior Vipasha Mehra begins her senior season with 31 career singles victories and 36 career wins in doubles. The Calgary, Canada, native is the lone senior and one of three upperclassmen on the Hawkeyes’ 2024 roster.
NIKITA THE HAWKEYE
Sophomore Nikita Vishwase, a transfer from LSU, will make her Hawkeye debut when she takes the court this spring. The Arizona native didn’t compete in the fall because of injury. In Baton Rouge, Vishwase was an ITA Southern Regional doubles champion and she posted 16 wins in singles and 22 wins in doubles. She was ranked as high as No. 7 nationally in the ITA doubles rankings in November of 2022.
SCOUTING FLORIDA ATLANTIC
• The Owls posted an 8-14 overall record and went 0-2 in conference action during the 2023 season.
• FAU’s doubles team of Victoria Gomez O’Hayon and Mille Mae Matthews advanced to the 2023 ITA Southeast Regional semifinals.
• Freshman Panna Bartha advanced to the 2023 ITF Tournament semifinals in the singles draw.
• Friday’s meeting will be the first between Iowa and FAU.
SCOUTING FLORIDA GULF COAST
• The Eagles posted a 16-7 overall record and went 6-2 in the Atlantic Sun Conference. FGCU went 11-2 on its home courts.
• FGCU hosted the Bonita Bay Classic during the fall, posting two wins over Purdue and three over Notre Dame.
• Iowa is 1-0 all-time against FGCU, winning 5-2 in Fort Meyers during the 2019 season.
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes will return to action on Jan. 20, traveling to South Bend, Indiana, to face Notre Dame beginning at 10 a.m.