Yesterday's match against Iowa had all the potential of a great one. In the Lady Lion's first home match of the season, they attempted to pull off one of the most improbable come-from-behind wins in team history.

But it never happened.

The Lady Lions (5-2, 1-2 Big Ten) lost their first four singles matches before wins by Andi Chiumento, Kim Nelson and No. 1 doubles seed Olga Novikova/Tammy Okins-Nguyen cut the lead to one. The No. 2 and No. 3 doubles teams led early, but lost in straight sets, and the team finished with a 6-3 loss.

Coach Sue Whiteside said that the loss was disappointing because victory seemed within their grasp, but got away.

"It really turned out to be a winnable match," Whiteside said. "Tricia (Lehman), Olga and Tammy's singles matches were all very close. They were definitely winnable."

Novikova, the team's No. 1 singles player, had her opponent literally running up and down the court as she broke serve and won the first set easily, 6-1. But she lost momentum after losing the second set, 6-4, and could not overcome a 5-2 deficit in the third, finally losing 6-4.

Novikova said she was unfocused and became extremely conservative after losing the second set, relying on her opponent to commit unforced errors instead of being aggressive.

"I just became too careful in the end," she said. "I didn't want to risk anything, and I just did not play as well as I know I can."

Novikova added that she was disappointed because she "wants to be a leader" as the No. 1 player.

Whiteside said the team shouldn't be disappointed. It is important for her team to remember that Big Ten competition is a lot harder than its early season non-conference schedule.

"Looking back on the way we blew out teams out on the East, that was a walk in the park compared to Big Ten competition," she said. "It's tough to win these games. We just didn't play as well as we are capable of, but we still have the chance to do some damage."

The Lady Lions will face Minnesota today as they try to even-up their Big Ten record.

Note:

-- No. 4 seed Robyn Reagan played despite a recurring muscle strain in her hip. She also injured her right knee by "running funny" in her singles match, but she finished the match and later teamed up with Lehman for doubles. Whiteside said the injury was minor, and would not keep her out of competition today.