IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Today marks the beginning of the home tennis season for second year head coach Katie Dougherty and the Iowa women's tennis team. The Hawkeyes host defending Mid-American Conference champion Miami (Ohio) at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex beginning at 5 p.m.

Iowa, ranked No. 30 nationally, is opening the home season after competing in the ITA Kickoff Weekend hosted by Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Ga. The Hawkeyes dropped a pair of matches against nationally-ranked Georgia Tech and Illinois.

"Our courts, our lighting, our fans, equals a comfortable environment for us," said Dougherty. "After coming off a tough weekend at Georgia Tech, it will be good to be back indoors. We are ready to go."

The Hawkeyes will aim to maintain the home court advantage they established a year ago when they finished with a 9-4 home record to climb to No. 18 in the ITA rankings.

"It's a great place to train every day," said Dougherty. "The lighting is really good, the courts are perfect and really well maintained. It's a great place to call home."

Between the doubles and singles matches, all children attending the event will be invited to take the courts for a chance to hit for prizes and meet Herky the Hawk, who will also be in attendance.

The complete weekend of tennis continues Sunday when the Hawkeyes welcome Big 12 foe Kansas State to the HTRC for a 12 p.m. match.

The Wildcats bring an undefeated record into the weekend, after opening the season with wins over New Mexico and Drake. Kansas State won both matches by a 6-1 margin.

Following this weekend's action, the Hawkeyes will travel to Milwaukee, Wis., to square off against Marquette Feb. 19 before facing DePaul Feb. 20.