Weber State (0-18) had been shut out seven times this season and Friday, the Idaho Vandal women’s tennis team (15-5, 0-1 WAC) increased that number to eight, defeating the Wildcats 7-0.
Tony Marcolina | Argonaut Idaho sophomore Alejandra Lozano returns the ball during practice Monday on the Me- morial Gym tennis courts. The women won 7-0 against Weber State Friday in Lewiston, helping them improve to 15-5.
The Vandals won all three doubles matches and the point before winning all six singles matches in straight sets.
Idaho coach Daniel Pollock said Weber State’s record doesn’t do them justice. Pollock said the Wildcats hit the ball really well and have a few solid players.
“They tried really hard — we couldn’t just walk in there and wait for them to lose,” Pollock said.
He’s not sure why the Wildcats can’t get over the hump against less-talented teams, but Pollock said Idaho was definitely the better team Friday.
“People shined in different places but I feel like everybody played with the confidence that they should do against a lower level opponent that we were expected to beat,” Pollock said.
Sophomore Vicky Lozano, Idaho’s No. 1 singles player, said that it’s “just bad luck” the Wildcats haven’t won any matches.
Lozano faced Weber State’s Brittiny Moore in doubles and singles, and said Moore was a strong player but her game was easy to attack.
“(Moore) was not bad, but I adapted really well to her game and felt very comfortable playing with her,” Lozano said.
Pollock told the Vandals to come out and start strong. Doubles matches were first on the agenda and the 7-0 score reveals that senior captain Molly Knox and her partner Sophie Vickers took their coach’s advice.
“Probably for doubles, the most fun I have had all year,” Knox said. “I got to hit tons of volleys. Sophie (Vickers) had great serves and returns and really set me up at the net.”
This match was set to be Idaho’s first home match of the season but weather concerns moved the match to Lewis-Clark State College’s indoor facility in Lewiston.
“We like Lewiston, especially coming from the WSU courts that are a lot faster and we have been practicing on them for the last couple weeks,” Knox said.
Pollock knows his players are comfortable in Lewiston and said the facility is top-notch.
“There is no reason why you can’t play perfect tennis in there,” Pollock said. “They love it — (I) wish it was in Moscow.”
An average crowd attended the match and a few Vandal supporters showed up.
Pollock refuses to see Idaho’s four wins in a row as a streak, and said he will take it one match at a time.
“You can’t judge how you’re (going to) play next week on how you played this week. You just have to go in and prepare like it’s the first match of the season,” Pollock said.
Pollock doesn’t think the women are getting ahead of themselves. They know the upcoming matches will be tough and they have to practice hard to prepare for Friday.
Weather permitting, the Vandals will have another chance to play in Moscow when they host Nevada on Friday and Oregon on Saturday.
“We’re excited to play them and see some different girls that we haven’t seen before in competition,” Knox said.
Charles Crowley can be reached at [email protected]