Mack Named Co-Big Ten Player of the Week

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Junior Mia Mack has been named the Co-Big Ten Tennis Player of the Week, it was announced Wednesday by the league office. It is Mack’s first career honor.

She shares the honor with Washington’s Erika Matsuda.

The Löchgau, Germany, native earned the distinction after posting a 3-1 combined singles and doubles record last weekend against ranked opponents in victories over Northwestern and Illinois.

She opened the weekend by posting a 6-3, 7-5 victory over No. 69 Margot Phathala at the No. 1 singles line. The win delivered the second point in the Hawkeyes’ come-from-behind 4-3 victory over the Wildcats.

In the 4-3 victory over the Fighting Illini, Mack teamed with Daianne Hayashida to earn a 6-4 win over No. 86 Tess Bucher and Alice Xu at No. 1 doubles. In singles play, Mack clinched the team victory with a 7-5, 6-7(0), 7-6(5) win over No. 34 McKenna Schaefbauer, sealing the Hawkeyes’ eighth team win of the season.

Mack is the first Hawkeye to earn the accolade this season and the first Big Ten Player of the Week honoree since Tereza Dejnozkova was honored on March 19 last season.

The Hawkeyes are currently ranked 39th in the March 10 ITA team rankings.

Iowa (8-5, 2-0) returns to action Friday at Michigan State at 4 p.m. (CT) before facing No. 35 Michigan on Sunday at 11 a.m. Iowa returns home March 20 to host Oregon at 5 p.m. at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Center.