Among an experienced Vandal women’s tennis team that includes four seniors and all but one player from a year ago, it was a freshman that dominated the team’s first tournament Friday through Sunday.
Idaho freshman Galina Bykova, from St. Petersburg, Russia, won her first four singles matches to advance to the championship match of the main draw at the Jack Taylor Classic in Boise. She lost the championship match in two sets, 7-5, 6-2 to Boise State’s Morgan Basil on Sunday. It was the opening tournament of the season for the women’s tennis team.
“That was a good performance overall,” Idaho coach Myriam Sopel said of Bykova’s performance. “She fought really, really hard. That last match she put up a great fight from the first to the last point.”
Bykova beat Weber State’s Agata Bachanek in two sets, Boise State’s Megan LaLone in three sets and Montana’s Precious Gbadamosi in three sets en route to the championship match.
“She’s definitely a tremendous asset for us, a great addition to the team,” Sopel said. “She’s been training really well.”
The Vandals also had a standout in the doubles where Idaho’s No. 2 doubles team of sophomore Belen Barcenilla and senior Sophie Vickers won the Orange Flight doubles championship. The Idaho duo was challenged early going 8-6 in its first set before breezing through the next two 8-3, 8-3 to win the championship. Again, it was a Vandals versus Broncos finals with Barcenilla and Vickers beating the Boise State duo of Anissa Bryant-Swift and Sammie Watson.
Idaho also advanced to a few consolation championship matches when the No. 1 doubles team of seniors Vicky Lozano and Bety Flores won the Blue Flight doubles second-round-loss consolation draw. Barcenilla and Lozano both advanced to the Orange Flight singles second-round-loss consolation, which will be played Tuesday in Moscow.
“We were in four different finals so that’s really positive and the girls competed well,” Sopel said. “Overall I think we all understand the goal we have as a team.
“We showed some determination. We played some strong teams … like WSU and strong teams like BSU that are rivals. I’m really pleased with this first tournament and definitely looking forward to next month of the season.”
The Vandals return to the Palouse this week to play two straight tournaments at WSU. The Cougar Classic begins Friday and the Washington State Invitational takes place the following week.
Stephan Wiebe can be reached at [email protected]