Q&A: Jack Edwards, Iowa State University tennis club captain

Iowa State University recently became one of four club tennis teams from the USTA Missouri Valley to qualify for the USTA Tennis On Campus National Championship in Rome, Georgia on April 2-5. The Cyclones finished second at the 2025 USTA Missouri Valley Tennis On Campus Section Championship, which took place March 1-2 in Springfield, Missouri, to book their spot at nationals.

It’s the second year qualifying for nationals for captain Jack Edwards, a senior environmental engineering major. The Pella, Iowa native talked about his goals and what he enjoys most about playing for the Cyclones’ club team.

How long have you been playing club tennis, and why did you decide to go out for the team?

This is my fourth year playing. I originally didn’t know about club tennis until I was playing one night, and one of the officers at the time told me to come to practice. I also wanted to keep playing competitive tennis, and the club team let me do that.

What do you enjoy most about it?

I enjoy continuing to play competitive tennis against other schools. A lot of my best friends are on the club team at Iowa State, so being able to meet new people, travel and compete with them is super fun.

You’ve been to nationals before. What do you hope to accomplish this time around?

Personally, and as a team, the goal was to qualify for nationals again. This year I hope to play good matches against the other schools we usually don’t play against and play my best tennis possible. There’s a lot of super good teams and players there, so we’re managing our expectations. We all are mainly focused on having a good time playing tennis together.

How has your club team grown over the years?

As an entire club, it’s grown in size over the time I’ve been here. Myself and the other club officers inherited a very well-run club, and I think we have helped to keep growing the club. Maintaining a fun and welcoming community is always our first goal, but in the last few years I think we’ve been able to increase the competitiveness of the club.

To view a recap of the 2025 USTA Missouri Valley Tennis On Campus Section Championship, click here.