With three weeks left in the regular season, Idaho men’s tennis tread water over the weekend, failing to gain a foothold in the Big Sky Conference.
The Vandals gained a valuable victory Saturday, defeating Weber State 4-3, but lost to Idaho State Sunday 6-1.
Against the Wildcats, Idaho swept the doubles point with the help of freshman Valentin Popescu and junior Esteban Santibanez. The pair finished off their opponent 6-2, the largest margin of victory for the Vandals in doubles.
In singles, Weber State and Idaho split, but the Vandals’ early advantage helped push the team past the finish line. Popescu was the first to finish his match, losing to his opponent 6-2, 6-1.
Senior Carlos Longhi Neto put Idaho back in front after stretching out to a commanding lead. However, his opponent Michiel Van Schoor, retired in the third set, resulting in a point for the Silver and Gold. Victories on court No. 6 and No. 5 proved just enough to give Idaho its second conference win of the season.
Idaho’s luck ran out nearly 24 hours later, as the in-state rival Bengals beat down a visiting Vandal team, bringing their conference record even further from postseason standards.
The Bengals, undefeated at home, secured the doubles point late after Longhi Neto and senior Lucas Coutinho notched a 6-4 victory on court No. 1.
In singles, Santibanez stood as the only Vandal to earn a “W,” defeating Fynn Lohse in a tight 7-5, 7-5 match.
Idaho (5-11, BSC 2-4) under first-year head coach Daniel Hangstefer now sits two matches behind 6th place Portland State. To reach the top six and secure a spot in the Big Sky Tournament, the Vandals will have to defeat at least two of their next four opponents while also hoping the Vikings stumble to close out the season.
Down the stretch, Idaho will have to face off against the top two teams in the conference — Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. The latter has gone undefeated in conference play so far.
Idaho returns home one last time for a match against Montana State April 11. It will be the last match in the Gem State for seniors Coutinho, Longhi Neto and Peter Shin.
Brandon Hill can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @brandonmtnhill