Kavita Battan — soccer
Kavita Battan
After scoring only two goals during the entire nonconference season as a team, Idaho forward Kavita Battan scored two of Idaho’s four goals over the weekend to help lead the Vandals to a 2-0 start to Big Sky play. The sophomore from Vancouver, Washington, scored Idaho’s game-winning goal over Northern Colorado Friday at Guy Wicks Field in the 78th minute. Idaho won the game 3-2. Battan kicked the only goal of the game Sunday against North Dakota in the 21st minute. The Vandals are back in action Friday at Southern Utah.
“I definitely think getting that early goal put North Dakota on their heels and got our spirits up and we were ready to go,” Battan said. “We just kept pushing and pushing, we might not have gotten another goal, but we had the opportunities and we were confident in ourselves to keep going.”
Irving Steele — football
Irving Steele
For the first time all season, the Idaho defense put together a better performance than the offense. Idaho lost the game Sat- urday against South Alabama 34-10, but the Vandals allowed 79 less yards than their atrocious 508 season average and they forced the Jaguars to four punts and two turnovers. One of Idaho’s takeaways came from a forced fumble by linebacker Irving Steele. The junior college transfer from Ellsworth Community College knocked the ball loose from senior running back Kendall Houston late in the third quarter. Steele also recorded seven tackles and one tackle for loss during the game. Next up for Idaho is a Saturday contest at Texas State.
Meredith Coba — volleyball
Meredith Coba
The Vandals surrendered set leads of 1-0 and 2-1 to fall 3-2 to North Dakota Saturday in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The match came down to the final points in a contest where junior setter Meredith Coba recorded a season- high of 56 assists. The Salem, Oregon, native also nabbed 11 digs for her fourth double-double of the season. Idaho’s next match is Thursday against Northern Arizona in Memorial Gym.
“We put ourselves in a hole to begin with,” Idaho coach Debbie Buchanan said. “We had the lead 13-11 and that is when we needed to put it away. We battled. We had our opportunities, we just have to finish and take care of business.”
Sophie Vickers — women’s tennis
Sophie Vickers
Idaho’s doubles team of junior Belen Barcenilla and senior Sophie Vickers claimed the Gray Flight championship, while Vickers fell singles play in the Gray Flight semifinals as the Idaho women’s tennis team opened fall play Sunday at the Cougar Classic.
Barcenilla and Vickers beat teammates Beatriz Flores and Lucia Badillos, 6-1, in the championship match to complete a 3-0 run in the tournament. In singles play, Vickers advanced to the semifinals of the Gray Flight with wins over Naomi de Hart of Boise State and Eastern Washington’s Katrina Domingo. Vickers fell to Boise State’s Sammie Watson in the semifinals to finish her run with a 3-6, 6-4, 5-7 loss.
“Our MVP was Sophie,” Idaho coach Mariana Cobra said. “She competed hard in every match — singles and doubles.”
Felipe Fonseca — men’s tennis
Felipe Fonseca
Felipe Fonseca, a freshman from Curitiba, Brazil, made a statement to be playing in tournament “A” flights after going 4-0 in Main Flight B in his first collegiate tournament. Fonseca and the Vandals opened the fall season at the EWU Fall Classic over the weekend. Fonseca knocked off Gonzaga’s Sergio Chip, the flight’s top seeded player, in the semifinals before beating Seattle U’s Connor Leahy (6-0, 6-3) in the championship match. Idaho plays at the Boise Fall Invite Friday to Sunday for its second tournament of the season.
“Felipe had an excellent tournament,” Idaho coach Art Hoomiratana said. “He competed well in every match and the results took care of themselves.”