IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa junior Marisa Schmidt has been named the Big Ten Player of the Week, it was announced Wednesday by the league office. The honor is the first of her career.
The Germany native earned the distinction following an impressive weekend, as she went 2-0 in singles in duals against No. 34 Illinois and No. 35 Northwestern.
Schmidt won both matches in straight sets, including defeating Northwestern’s 88th-ranked Justine Leong, 6-0, 6-2, on Sunday. She opened the weekend with a 6-3, 7-6 (3) win over Illinois’ Mckenna Schaefbauer in Iowa’s 4-2 victory.
During the spring, Schmidt had a team-best 10-4 singles record, which includes a 9-0 mark at the No. 2 position. She is currently riding a nine-match winning streak with six of the victories coming in straight sets.
Schmidt is the first Hawkeye to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors since Alexa Noel in 2021.
The Hawkeyes return to action Friday, hitting the road to face No. 29 Wisconsin at 4 p.m. (CT) at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison.
