After another disappointing road trip, the Vandal men’s tennis team had some time to lick their wounds — both literally and figuratively before hitting the road to face rival Boise State on Friday.
Idaho junior Cesar Torres said the extended rest between matches gave the Vandals time to rest and nurse some nagging injuries.
“It’s always a match that you get up for, and it’s definitely heated for the guys that have been around,” Idaho coach Jeff Beaman said.
“Boise State is a very tough opponent,” Torres said. “I think we will have to go there and just compete at our best level.”
Tough may be an understatement. The Broncos have had an excellent season. They currently sit at 20-4 and are currently ranked No. 22 in the National ITA Team Rankings.
Both Beaman and Torres agree that the No. 22 ranked Broncos are the best team the Vandals have played all spring. The Vandals will be huge underdogs going into the match, but they are familiar with Boise State. Idaho’s Jose Bendeck, Artemiy Nikitin and Cristobal Ramos Salazar all finished in the top three of the Boise State Fall Tournament.
“I think that all of the guys in the lineup will do their best,” Torres said.
The team is prepared for the comments from Boise State fans that are to be expected when they come to town, he added.
Luckily, the Vandals won’t have to go it alone. Idaho has a relatively large alumni base in the Boise area who are tennis supporters. Beaman expects to have a larger Vandal contingent in attendance than the Vandals are used to, after spending most of the season outside of the state of Idaho.
This large support base in Boise should help create a more even playing field for the Vandals, despite being on the Broncos’ turf.
The Vandals are expected to have doubles standout Ramos Salazar back, after he aggravated a forearm injury sustained earlier this spring. He has been out of action since Idaho’s 4-1 victory over Sacramento State on March 18, and he could not be back at a better time as the Vandals prepare to face Boise State.
Getting Ramos Salazar back into the doubles lineup may help stabilize it, as he and partner Bendeck have been lights out this spring, dropping only two matches in doubles play and the recently cracked the ITA doubles rankings at No. 90.
However, the Vandals will not risk losing Ramos Salazar long term just so he can play against BSU, Beaman said. The main focus is getting him healthy and to win a conference championship, he said.
Despite the rivalry, Torres said the Vandals’ No.1 goal is to win the WAC Tournament and a match late in the year with one of the top teams in the nation should help get the team prepared for that.
After the BSU match, the Vandals face UC Irvine on Saturday, April 12 in Boise.
Just like the Vandals, UC Irvine has had an up and down spring season and it should make for a competitive match, Beaman said.
Josh Gamez can be reached at [email protected]