MOSCOW, Idaho—Idaho women's tennis earned a home sweep on Sunday, defeating Portland State 6-1. The Vandals improved its Big Sky Conference record to 6-2 on the season with just three league matches left to play this season.
Idaho, 12-8 overall, competed strong in all positions on the day. The Vandals jumped out to the early lead, scoring the doubles point. Rita Bermudez and Maria Tavares began the day with a 6-4 triumph on the No. 2 court. Belen Barcenilla and Ana Batiri scored a 6-3 win in No. 1 play to clinch the day's first point.
“We are a very deep team,” head coach Mariana Cobra explained post-match. “If we go up 1-0 it is going to be very hard to beat us. We have worked more in doubles and continue to work. There are a lot of positives, but also some things we can get better at.”
Freshman Marianna Petrei continued to dominate on the No. 1 court in singles. She put Idaho up 2-0 with a decisive 6-1, 6-0 showing. Tavares, also a freshman, cruised by in No. 5 play with a 6-2, 6-0 win. Badillos wrapped up the match for Idaho with her 6-1, 6-1 win over Taylor Rees in No. 6 action.
“Marianna, Maria and Lucia each quickly took care of business,” Cobra noted. “That put us up 4-0, but Portland State is a good team. This was definitely a good win for us today. Our goal is to peak every match we get. That way we get to conference and peak there.”
Barcenilla and Celine Koets both played extended matches on their respective courts. Barcenilla, after dropping the first set 6-3, came back to win the next two sets, 6-2, 10-2. Koets cruised in her first set, 6-0, before dropping a tight second set 7-6(4). She battled back in the tie-breaker, recording a 10-1 win to end the weekend.
Idaho will be back on the road the remainder of the season. The team will head to Montana next week Friday, April 8, to begin a four match road-swing, leading up to the Big Sky Tournament.
Singles competition
1. Petrei, Marianna (UI) def. VORSTER, Dane (PSU) 6-1, 6-0
2. PERI, Siena (PSU) def. Bermudez, Rita (UI) 6-4, 6-3
3. Koets, Celine (UI) def. DONG, Tracy (PSU) 6-0, 6-7 (4-7), 10-1
4. Barcenilla, Belen (UI) def. PREDA, Sabina-Elena (PSU) 3-6, 6-2, 10-2
5. Tavares, Maria (UI) def. FREY, Kelsey (PSU) 6-2, 6-0
6. Badillos, Lucia (UI) def. REES, Taylor (PSU) 6-1, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. Barcenilla, Belen/Batiri, Ana (UI) def. PERI, Siena/DONG, Tracy (PSU) 6-3
2. Bermudez, Rita/Tavares, Maria (UI) def. VORSTER, Dane/REES, Taylor (PSU) 6-4
3. Petrei, Marianna/Badillos, Lucia (UI) def. FREY, Kelsey/PREDA, Sabina-Elena (PSU) 7-5
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (1,5,6,2,4,3)
