MOSCOW, Idaho – The Vandal women's tennis team (4-3) is slated to host their first home match of the spring season after seven contests on the road. Idaho will face off against Utah State on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 11 a.m. PST inside the P1FCU Kibbie Dome. 

Idaho heads into the match coming off of a split pair of matches against Wyoming (1-6) and University of South Dakota (4-3). Three freshmen have helped lead the way for the Vandals so far this season and all head into the match following singles victories over South Dakota. Diana Khaydarshina claimed her first win at the No. 2 position with a dominant straight-set victory over her opponent. Ida Johansson made a debut appearance of her own on court four where she found a win and Naomi Schraeder continued the trend by posting a victory at No. 5 singles. 

Khaydarshina, Johansson, and Schraeder all boast 4-2 records and currently sit as the team leaders in singles wins. In doubles action, it is the duo of Lena Beckx and Rachelle Starreveld who have stepped up for the Vandals, holding a team-best 5-1 mark on season play and an active two-match win streak. 

Series History
The Vandals hold a 16-4 overall record since 1994-95 and boast a 7-3 mark in their last 10 meetings against the Aggies. Utah State posted a 5-2 victory over Idaho in the two programs' most recent matchup on Feb. 25, 2023 in Logan, Utah. The last time the Vandals defeated the Aggies was on Feb. 18, 2019 in a 4-3 decision. This will be the first time Idaho has hosted a contest in the series since 2014. 

Scouting the Aggies
Utah State heads into the match with a 3-3 overall record and hot off of a two-match win streak after defeating Big Sky opponents Eastern Washington (5-2) and Montana (4-3). Senior Zeynup Naz Ozturk leads the squad with a 4-1 singles record, a 2-1 mark on court one, and an active three-match win streak. She recently bested 2023 Big Sky Conference MVP, Ana Morett of Weber State. Junior Indya Nespor is also off to a strong start this season, posting a 4-1 singles record across courts four and five. 

Up Next
Idaho is set to hit the road once again next weekend before returning to Moscow for a four-match home stretch. The Vandals will travel west to square off against Seattle University on Sunday, March 3 at 9 a.m. PST.

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