MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The Milwaukee tennis head to Iowa this weekend traveling to Drake and Northern Iowa beginning Saturday, February 22.
 
WHEN & WHERE: The Panthers face off against the Bulldogs Saturday at the Roger Knapp Tennis Center in Des Moines, Iowa. First serve is set for 11 a.m. Following the Bulldogs, Sunday will be an all-panther match as MKE takes on Northern Iowa at noon from the Black Hawk Tennis Club in Waterloo.
 
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS: Prior the hosting Milwaukee, the Bulldogs will be coming off three-straight matches against Power Five schools in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa State. Drake is currently 2-3 this season with Maria Tatarnikova leading the way for the Bulldogs.
 
Junior Tatarnikova is 7-11 overall in singles play and is paired up with Carmen Palumbo in doubles play. The duo are 5-4 overall, but it is Joley Lomas and Liza Petushikova who've had the most success in doubles play together. Lomas and Petushkova are 6-2 overall and 4-1 from the No. 1 position. They are also on a three-match win streak entering Saturday's match.
 
ABOUT THE UNI PANTHERS: Northern Iowa earned a 5-2 victory over Ferris State last Saturday (Feb. 15), ending a six-match losing streak. The purple and gold are 1-6 so far this season.
 
In their win against Ferris State, UNI lost the doubles point, but picked up five singles win. Kim Zizek, Madeline Doherty, Thaissa Moreira, Valentina Caro and Olivia Fain all earned wins for UNI to earn the team's first dual win in 2020.
 
The team is comprised of four juniors, one sophomore and three freshmen.
 
SENIOR STATUS: Nicole Clarke earned another singles victory last weekend against Braves, improving her overall singles record to 7-0.
 
Fellow senior, Anna Daniel Fuentes is second on the team in wins with a 5-2 record.
 
DOMINATING DOUBLES: The Panthers are a combined 15-4 in doubles action so far this season. Leading the way are No. 2 doubles team, Mayya Perova and Anika Tylek. The duo are 6-1, and right behind the all-sophomore team are Nicole Clarke and Nikki Milner who are 5-1 at the No. 1 line.
 
LEAGUE HONORS: The Panthers earned more league honors for the week of February 11. MKE swept both categories with Nicole Clarke earning Singles Player of the Week, while Mayya Perova and Anika Tylek earned Doubles Team of the Week.
 
Senior Nicole Clarke remains undefeated at 6-0 in 2020 after going 2-0 last weekend with wins over Valparaiso and Chicago State and help the team improve to 4-2.  In both matches, Clarke won in straight sets defeating Valparaiso's Amanda Tabanera 6-3, 6-2 and Cougar's Katarina 7-5, 6-2
 
Sophomore tandem Mayya Perova and Anika Tylek went 2-0 and help the Milwaukee Panthers to a 2-0 weekend with wins over Valparaiso and Chicago State. The duo defeated Valparaiso's Demi Jhaveri and Isabella Schoolcraft 6-1 and Chicago State's Katarina Dukic and Susana Andres 6-4.
 
For the week of Jan. 28, Clarke and Nikki Milner were also tabbed Horizon League Doubles Team of the Week.
 
NEXT UP: The black & gold stay on the road next weekend and will travel back to Illinois for the Redbird Spring Invite. The Invite will begin Saturday, February 29 and run through Sunday, March 1.