After a run of 11 straight matches, the Idaho women’s tennis team has dropped its last two matches.
The second came Sunday in Spokane, as the Portland Pilots trumped the No. 70 Vandals 4-2. It was Idaho’s first match in more than two weeks.
“It was a very close and competitive match,” Idaho coach Jeff Beaman said. “After a two week layoff, you can’t replace competition — even if you’re playing points against teammates. ”
The Vandals won all three matches in doubles play 8-5, 8-6 and 8-1 respectively.
No. 1 doubles pair Victoria Lozano and Almudena Sanz extended their winning streak to 13 matches.
“Every time we play doubles, we feel more confident,” Lozano said. “I don’t know if it’s because we have each other and can support each other when we are nervous or missing some balls at the beginning of the match.”
Singles play went down to the wire, as the No 3. And No. 5 matches ended in tiebreakers.
“Galina (Bykova) was up a break two different points in that third set,” Beaman said. “It was a rollercoaster — really high pressure. We played a good team that played really hard.”
Idaho junior Beatriz Flores won her No. 6 singles match 6-1, 7-5 against Portland’s Emily Gould. Beaman said the other four matches were competitive and good for the team after such a long break.
“It’s a good match in terms of getting your competing back,” Beaman said. “After some time off, we certainly had the pressure. You’d like the result to go the other way, but hopefully they deal with the loss in the right way. It will get us ready for two tough matches.”
Next up for Idaho are matches against Northern Arizona and Grand Canyon on Sunday and Monday. The team will also make up the postponed Feb. 8 match against LCSC in Lewiston on Wednesday.
“I expect to work on my consistency,” Lozano said. “(Sunday), I was not erratic but not as consistent as I wanted to be. I’d like to improve to get ready for the next match.”
Grand Canyon is a conference match, but the result won’t affect Idaho’s seed in the WAC Tournament. The ‘Lopes are still in the transition phase from NCAA Division II to Division I, but Beaman said not to take them lightly.
“I think it’s a critical match in terms of playing a good team outdoors,” Beaman said. “The conditions in Phoenix will be somewhat comparable to Las Cruces.”
The Vandals are entering the final month of the regular season before heading to Las Cruces, N.M. — the site of the WAC Championship in April. The final regular season conference match will be played against New Mexico State in Las Cruces, N.M., on April 13.
“On paper, us and them are projected as two of the top teams in the conference,” Beaman said. “We get a chance to play a team that we could be potentially playing in the finals on their home court in the same conditions two weeks after that.”
Conor Gleason can be reached at [email protected]