If there is one school every Vandal team wants to punish each year, it’s Boise State. The Idaho women’s tennis team will get its chance when the Broncos host the Eastern Washington Eagles and the Vandals Saturday.
Coach Daniel Pollock said he would love to win both matches this weekend but BSU takes priority.
“If we had to go 1-24, I would pick this match to be our one win,” Pollock said.
He said it’s nice to play in front of Idaho alumni who live in the Boise area and with the huge crowd BSU brings in, it’s always exciting.
The Vandals have no chance at being 1-24 this year as they hold a 4-2 record and are on a two-game win streak, but will not take either match lightly.
Pollock said if Idaho plays like he knows it can the Eastern match should be a definite victory, but he said the Eagles are a different team.
“Eastern actually brought in three pretty solid girls,” Pollock said. “I think they will be stronger this time around than in the past.”
Boise State is almost the opposite of what it has been in the past, Pollock said, but is still a well-coached team.
“I think they are not as strong and as deep as they have been previous years, but they are definitely a solid team,” Pollock said.
While the rivalry is evident, respect between the two teams is clear. Boise State coach Beck Roghaar had only positive things to say about the Vandals.
“Idaho is a great team, a well-coached team, and we always look forward to playing them,” Roghaar said. “It’s always a fun rivalry match and I really have a lot of respect for the players and the coaches and what they have done.”
He said the Broncos are excited and this is a match both teams look forward to each year.
“We are going to prepare as if it’s a match against anybody else but at the same time it’s hard to not get excited about it knowing it’s a rivalry match,” Roghaar said.
He said there is always some added excitement when the players know fans are interested in the result and the long-time rivalry brings attention to the outcome.
Idaho sophomore and No. 1 player Vicky Lozano said she does not let the pressure of the rivalry get to her.
“It’s just another player,” Lozano said. “They play good, but we can win because we have good players too.”
She said Idaho spent the week preparing and the time has come to simply perform well.
“We will have to be very confident and not feel nervous and pressured, and if everything goes well then we’re going to win,” Lozano said.
Pollock said his goal for the weekend is simple — beat the Broncos and Eagles.
“If you had told me that we were going to play Gonzaga, BSU and Eastern Washington and we were going to go 3-0, at the start of the season, I would have taken it in a heartbeat,” Pollock said.
The action starts at 10 a.m. Saturday with the rivalry match, and then Idaho meets Eastern at 2 p.m., both at the Boas Indoor Tennis Center in Boise.