Momentum built during the middle of January was quickly lost when Idaho men’s tennis (3-3) lost its second straight match, against Portland, but today the Vandals have a chance to regain that momentum as they head to Spokane to face the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
Idaho Director of Tennis Jeff Beaman said this Bulldog team will not go down easy.
“GU has the best team they have had in years and they are tough on their home indoor courts,” Beaman said.
Beaman said a win against the Bulldogs will go a long way in regaining confidence before the Vandals head to Boise to play the Broncos Feb. 11 — a match previously slated for April.
The Zags are only four matches into the season, but have already come away with victories over stiff competition.
“They beat Hawaii who is always one of the top teams in the WAC earlier this spring and unless our guys step up their performance in both singles and doubles it could be a rough day,” Beaman said.
The Bulldogs handled the Warriors 5-2 the day before defeating Whitman College 6-1. Gonzaga’s only loss of the season came by way of a 1-6 thumping from UC Santa Barbara. They recovered to defeat Hawaii Pacific University in a nail-biter 4-3 and now prepare to host the Vandals.
Beaman said a high priority this week is getting healthy because the Vandals’ six games in nine days took a toll on the team.
Junior Marius Cirstea, who plays at the No. 1 spot, has performed steadily all season. In the team’s six matches Cirstea holds a 3-3 record and has yet to lose by more than three games in a set.
Freshman Cesar Torres has competed in five of the Vandals’ six matches and become a surprise success for Idaho. Torres is 3-2 overall. Beaman said he plans to keep Torres No. 5 or 6 as his strength and speed develop, but may move him to No. 4 in the future.
The Vandals take on the Bulldogs at 6 p.m. Friday in Spokane. The match will be a precursor for Idaho’s April 3 home match when the Bulldogs travel to Moscow.