April 4, 2002

MANHATTAN, Kan. - With a three-match losing streak attached to its record, the Kansas State tennis team has two opportunities this weekend to snap the streak. It hosts Iowa State on Saturday at noon and Missouri on Sunday at 1 p.m. at either the Washburn Tennis Facility or Ahearn Field House.

This weekend's matches conclude the Wildcats' four-match homestand and their home tennis schedule for 2002. Seniors Alena Jecminkova and Kathy Chuda will also be playing their final home matches of their careers on Sunday.

The No. 43 nationally-ranked Wildcats are 8-6 overall and 3-3 in the Big 12 this season, while Iowa State enters the match 5-7 overall and 1-5 in league play and Missouri 7-8 overall and 1-7 in the conference.

Kansas State, which is currently in fifth place in the league, looks to stay in the top portion of the Big 12 standings with only five regular-season matches remaining. The Wildcats have dropped three of their last five matches, including three of their last four league matches.

Iowa State enters the match on a two-match losing streak after dropping matches to Texas Tech (6-1) and Nebraska (5-2). The Cyclones are currently 11th in the Big 12 standings. Missouri has also lost its last two Big 12 matches, 4-3 to Baylor and 5-2 to Texas Tech and is last in the conference.

K-State leads both all-time series with Iowa State and Missouri. The Wildcats are up 14-9 in the Iowa State series and have a 10-match winning streak against ISU. The last time the 'Cats lost to the Cyclones was on April 14, 1991. Last year, Kansas State opened its Big 12 season in Ames with a 6-1 victory over Iowa State.

Kansas State leads the series with Missouri, 17-4, and is unbeaten at home vs. the Tigers with an 8-0 record. The Wildcats have won 18 of the last 19 matches with MU, including a 5-2 victory in Columbia last season.

For Kansas State, three Wildcats have 4-2 Big 12 records. Freshman Maria Rosenberg (Manhattan, Kan.) owns the team's best overall singles record this year with a 15-6 mark at No. 4 singles.

Jecminkova is 8-6 this spring at No. 1 singles and sports an 12-11 overall mark.

Chuda is the only Wildcat on a streak. At No. 2 singles, Chuda is on a modest four-match winning streak. She is 9-3 this spring, 4-2 in the league and 15-8 overall.

In doubles, the No. 1 team of Jecminkova and freshman Andrea Cooper is 8-6 this spring and has won its last two matches. In conference action, the duo is 4-2.

Senior Noorje Cornelissen, who is 3-5 at No. 1 singles and teams with sophomore Sabrina Evers for a 6-2 record at No. 1 doubles, leads Iowa State.

Junior Kristina Olshanskaya leds Missouri with a 12-2 record this spring at No. 1 singles and 9-6 mark at No. 3 doubles. The Tigers' No. 1 doubles team of Urska Juric and Katka Sevcikova are 10-4 this spring.