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29 I f you're a fan of tennis and haven't heard of University of Iowa freshman Yufei Long, you better get acquainted with her. e Shenzhen, China, native has not wasted time getting comfortable in black and gold. rough the first two weeks of the spring season, the Hawkeye rookie has posted a 4-0 record at the No. 3 singles position, and a 2-0 record with senior Zoe Douglas at the No. 1 doubles position. She has won 48 of 56 games in singles, 12 of 14 games in doubles, and she is just getting started. "I have to keep myself healthy and confident," Long said when asked how she plans to maintain momentum. "ose things will come from train- ing. I need to work hard every day in practice and recover well." at strategy has paid off early. When the Hawk- eyes traveled to Montana to play Washington State on Jan. 28, Long delivered a 6-4, 6-1 straight-set win against the No. 109 player in the country, Tif- fany Mylonas. It was Long's first win over a ranked opponent. "I'm happy because she is a very tough player," Long said. "When you're playing someone that you know is going to get every ball back, you just have to stay ready and focused in every point." Eliminating distractions has been a focal point for Long since arriving on campus. She's adjusting to team tennis, a new school, and a new country. So much stimulation can be overwhelming at times, and Long credits Iowa head coach Sasha Schmid for helping her maintain focus, and keep her cool. "Sasha instructs me within the matches and always tells me to not play a point with frustration," said Long. "at helps me adjust my anger and focus." From the coach's point of view, Schmid said she has been impressed with Long's composure and willingness to respond. "I remind her to stay calm and focused before each point because she plays a physical tennis game and oen has grueling points," Schmid said. "If a hard-fought point doesn't go her way, she can't allow frustra- tion and impatience to set in, she needs to reset to play the next point just as hard. at takes discipline and mental toughness." Long expects big gains from herself this season, and the Hawkeyes are not afraid to set high expec- tations for freshmen. Last season, they were led by now-sophomore Elise van Heuvelen, a 2017 first- team All-Big Ten performer and the conference's reigning Freshman of the Year. "Having these teammates inspires me," Long said. "I have learned that we are a great team with a lot of talent and if we believe in ourselves and fight through every battle, we are going to do well." FEBRUARY SCHEDULE Feb. 3 at North Texas Feb. 4 at SMU Feb. 17 at Illinois Feb. 25 vs. Marquette Feb. 25 vs. Bradley