MOSCOW, Idaho – The University of Idaho Women's Tennis team will play its fifth dual match of the season and the first Big Sky Conference match against Idaho State in Lewiston on Sunday at 5 p.m.
Just three games into the season the Vandals are 0-5 in dual matches after falling to Oregon and Maryland most recently.
RECAP:
WSU defeated Idaho 7-0 in the season opening match on Jan. 18
th. The new look Vandals featured two newcomers in the singles lineup. Freshman
Andjela Todorovic and junior transfer
Melissa Huchet each made their dual match debut against WSU.
Laura Spataro debuted in the number one singles spot for the Vandals against WSU, falling short, 6-1, to Michaela Bayerlova.
BYU defeated Idaho 7-0 on Friday Jan. 31st in what was a long hard-fought battle. The Vandals were unable to win a point but the number three doubles pairing of freshman
Nicole Horacek and junior Marta Magalhaes were ahead 5-4 on Madeline Almedia and Helen Jiao before BYU took the doubles point by winning the number one and two matches.
In singles play, graduate student
Ilana Oleynik, playing in the number three spot, fell to Madeline Almedia 6-0 in the first set. Oleynik battled back in the second set, 6-6, but came up short in the tie break, 7-1, falling 6-0, 7-6 in the match.
In the number four singles pairing,
Maggie Chen took an early lead on Emilee Astle, 1-0, after winning the first set 6-4. Astle won the next two sets, taking the match from Chen, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.
Laura Spataro engaged in a thrilling battle with Kate Cusick in the number one singles match. Spataro dropped the first set 6-2 before controlling the second set 6-4. Cusick took the third set, 6-4 to win the match 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.
Two weeks ago, the Vandals fell to Gonzaga 4-1 but picked up a key point. Illana Oleynik and
Melissa Huchet won the number one singles match over Kate Ketels and Cate Broerman 6-4, before Meggie Chen and
Laura Spataro clinched the doubles point by defeating Taylor Gruber and Haruna Tsuruta 6-4.
Last week Idaho traveled to Eugene, Oregon to face Oregon and Maryland. The Vandals battled hard in the singles matches against the Ducks but fell 5-2 overall.
Laura Spataro defeated Kahfiani Rifanty 7-6, 6-4, in the No. 1 spot for the first win of the season and 25
th of her career.
Melissa Huchet picked up her first career singles win as a Vandal, defeating Lillian Mould in the No. 2 spot, 7-6, 4-6, 1-0 (11-9).
Against Maryland the Vandals fell 0-4 but put up good matches in singles play. At the time the match was called
Maggie Chen and Marta Magalhaes were both ahead 1-0 in their matches at the time the match was called.
SCOUTING IDAHO:
The Vandals bring back four players from last year's Big Sky runner up roster, including second team All-Big Sky selections
Laura Spataro and Marta Magalhaes.
Spataro, a junior has 25 career singles wins to lead the Vandals while
Maggie Chen leads the team in career doubles wins with 24 all-time.
Chen and Spataro won their first doubles match of the season against Gonzaga.
Spataro and
Melissa Huchet each recorded their first singles win of the season against Oregon last week.
The Vandals were picked to finish third in the Big Sky Preseason Women's Coaches Poll behind Weber State and NAU with 79 totaled votes.
SCOUTING IDAHO STATE:
The Bengals enter the match 3-3 overall on the season. Idaho State will face Eastern Washington today before taking on Idaho tomorrow. Hristina Cvetkovic leads the Bengals early in the season with a 4-2 overall record on the season in singles matches. Cvetkovic and Megan Poe are also 4-2 in doubles play. Idaho State has recorded wins against LCSC, Colorado Mesa, and UTEP this season, while falling to Seattle, Boise State, and Utah State.
Idaho State was picked to finish seventh in the Big Sky this year with 50 votes in the Preseason Coaches' Poll.
FOLLOW:
For the latest on Idaho Women's Tennis follow @idahoWtennis on Twitter and Instagram and Facebook and govandals
