The Idaho women’s tennis team has had difficulty this spring scheduling a competition at home because of inclement weather.
On Saturday, the team had to move their match to the indoor facilities at Lewis-Clark State College due to weather concerns.
The Vandals knocked off another Big Sky opponent attempting to halt the team’s win streak.
Idaho swept the doubles point early in the meeting. Freshman Mariana Petrei and sophomore Lucia Badillos came out strong against Idaho State, defeating their opponents 6-2. Sophomore Ana Batiri and senior Belen Barcenilla followed the duo with a 6-1 win to claim the doubles point.
Idaho head coach Mariana Cobra said securing the doubles point has been a goal of the team in each match.
“Idaho State came in hungry and prepared just like every Big Sky team we have faced,” Cobra said. “Winning the doubles point definitely gave us the momentum.”
With a 1-0 lead in the match, Idaho took the momentum into singles competition.
Svenja Tegtmeier of Idaho State held off Bermudez on the No. 2 court to help the Bengals keep pace with the Vandals.
The Bengals’ hot streak did not last long, as Petrei defeated opponent Kasey Bacon in two sets. The victory marks Petrei’s 11th straight in singles matches this season.
Freshman Maria Tavares propelled Idaho to a 3-1 advantage by winning two sets after losing the first.
Wiebke Boeckmann of Idaho State gave the Bengals a breath of life on the No. 3 court in a match against Ana Batiri that ended in a tie-breaker.
The victory turned out to be Idaho State’s last, as Celine Koets won two straight sets against Lara Theus and Barcenilla picked up another singles victory to earn a 5-2 win for the Vandals.
Cobra said she was proud of her team’s ability to come through when they need it most.
“We had to dig deep and stay focused on the big points today,” Cobra said. “We were able to do a good job of that.”
Except for a February loss to Gonzaga, the Idaho women’s tennis team has found success midway through the season. Idaho now boasts a 4-1 Big Sky Conference record, as the Vandals sit third in the Big Sky standings. The team trails Montana and Sacramento State, both of which have played less than three conference matches.
“I am very proud of how we continue to get better after every match,” Cobra said.
The Vandals will travel to Reno Wednesday to take on Nevada in a nonconference meeting.
Brandon Hill can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @brandonmtnhill
(Photo Courtesy by Spencer Farrin)