The Idaho women’s tennis team suffered its first defeat in nearly two months Saturday, dropping the last match of a tripleheader against Hawaii 4-3. The team had won its previous 11 matches.
The Honolulu weather played a role in the defeat, as the teams completed in the singles matches first , which typically follows doubles play. Tied 3-3, the fate of the match relied on the doubles matches.
The No. 1 doubles match went unfinished , and Hawaii won the No. 2 and No. 3 matches 8-3, 8-3 to take the doubles point and the match.
“It was a very competitive match,” Idaho coach Jeff Beaman said. “It was something that got us some outdoor tennis, got us some good competition and hopefully the girls take something out of this to work on our conditioning.”
The Vandals notched two victories against Sacred Heart and Hawaii Pacific days before. Beaman said weather conditions and fatigue played a role for Idaho, which played its third match in as many days.
“It’s definitely humid and sweaty,” Beaman said. “We were coming off an emotional high with a really big win. You’re a little sunburnt, a little dehydrated and your muscles are a little sore. It’s learning how to play at your highest level, while dealing with those things.”
Senior Victoria Lozano suffered her first singles defeat in five matches, surrendering the No. 1 singles match to Hawaii’s Cindy Nguyen 6-3, 6-3.
“Today we were a little bit tired,” Lozano said Saturday. “We were kind of burned and just the physical exhaustion of the other matches. I think we competed well and we had a nice attitude.”
It’s atypical for a match to begin with singles play, but due to weather safety concerns, it was necessary.
“We’re used to starting with doubles and getting pumped up to get ready for singles,” Lozano said. “Most of the girls competed very well. Others had a little bit more trouble finding their rhythm in the singles. But overall, I thought we did a good job.”
The Vandals have nearly two weeks off for spring break. They return to action on March 23 against Portland.
Lozano said the team will utilize the break to rest and prepare for the conclusion of the season.
“I think we all deserve a mental and physical break,” Lozano said. “We should have some rest. We have been playing so well so far and I think resting is the most important thing.”
Beaman said the team learned a lot from the match, such as dealing with bad weather. He said losing tough matches makes the team better.
“It was three tough matches in a row,” Beaman said. “It’s what you need to go through to win a conference championship and we need to win more than that to win an NCAA Championship. It’s just one step along the way and hopefully we can build on it.”
Conor Gleason can be reached at [email protected]
