IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Drake University women's tennis team (3-5) continued their stretch of nine-straight matches away from home with a 6-1 loss at in-state foe Iowa (5-5) this afternoon.
 
Both teams submitted a forfeit in the sixth singles position so every match, including the two doubles bouts, were counted for one team point each.
 
"Injuries were an equalizer today, allowing us to start the match at 0-0 despite only having five available players," Drake head coach Breaunna Addison said. "We had opportunities on lines one and two but donated too many free points in crucial moments. In singles, we got off to a slow start and Iowa built momentum and was able to play more freely."
 
The Hawkeyes were able secure two points in the doubles action. Barbora Pokorna and Pia Kranholt took down Ines Stephani and Rebecca Ehn in the No. 2 doubles spot. Mille Haagensen and Darinka Stepan dropped their duos match to Iowa's Daianne Hayashida and Marisa Schmidt by a 6-4 margin.
 
Stephani bounced back and earned Drake's lone team point of the afternoon at No. 1 singles over Hayashida by a 7-6, 6-4 tally. Hayashida entered the weekend in the top 100 nationally as the country's 85th-ranked singles player. The defending MVC Player of the Year is now 13-2 in singles matches this spring and picked up the first ranked win of her career.
 
"Credit to Ines Stephani," Addison continued. "She played disciplined and gritty tennis to beat the No. 85 player in the country. It was her first ranked win and highlights her maturity and development this past year."
 
The Hawkeyes controlled the remainder of the matches as Drake fell, 6-1, and dropped its third-straight contest.
 
"It's imperative that we approach these matches with more belief and discipline, because we have everything we need to be successful…it's just a matter of putting it together," Addison conluded.
 
The Bulldogs' lengthy road swing will continue next weekend when they visit Creighton on Friday, Mar. 1 and Nebraska on Saturday, Mar. 2.
 
SINGLES vs. IOWA
1. Ines Stephani (DU) def. Daianne Hayashida (IOWA) 7-6, 6-4
2. Marisa Schmidt (IOWA) def. Mille Haagensen (DU) 6-2, 2-6
3. Barbora Pokorna (IOWA) def. Rebecca Ehn (DU) 6-2, 6-0
4. Pia Kranholt (IOWA) def. Darinka Stepan (DU) 6-1, 6-3
5. Vipasha Mehra (IOWA) def. Nicole Lee (DU) 7-6, 6-1
 
DOUBLES vs. IOWA
1. Barbora Pokorna/Pia Kranholt (IOWA) def. Ines Stephani/Rebecca Ehn (DU) 7-6
2. Daianne Hayashida/Marisa Schmidt (IOWA) def. Mille Haagensen/Darinka Stepan (DU) 6-4