The last time the Vandals women’s tennis team faced three schools in one weekend it went 2-1, and Idaho hopes to at least match that this weekend. Idaho will play at Colorado State Friday, Northern Colorado Saturday and Wyoming Sunday.
Coach Daniel Pollock said busy weekends are brutal but he knew from the beginning of the season the team had a few to prepare for.
“That’s why we did all the strength and conditioning during the off-season and that’s why we did all the preparation so we should be good to go,” Pollock said.
The first test for Idaho will be Colorado State Friday evening. Pollock said the Rams are a lot like Montana, Gonzaga and Boise State — of which Gonzaga was Idaho’s only win — and that Idaho will have to play well to win it.
Colorado State also understands this match will not be an easy win.
“We saw some of their girls at regionals and they are just a real solid team from top to bottom,” Colorado State coach Jon Messick said. “We’re going to have to play real well against them to do well and were hoping for a very competitive match.”
He said his team performed well against Northern Arizona Feb. 12 and confidence rose after the match and the team has had a good week at practice.
“We’re relatively healthy so I think the girls are ready to give it a hundred percent,” Messick said.
After Colorado State, the Vandals won’t have much time before they face Northern Colorado Saturday afternoon. Pollock feels this is a match Idaho should be a favorite in.
“We expect to beat them but playing in Colorado is not that easy so we will have to be on our game,” Pollock said.
He said the altitude in Colorado makes for a different game, but the team specifically prepared during practice this week.
“Colorado is going to be different. I have played there and the ball travels a lot faster through the air, it doesn’t come down as quick,” Pollock said. “You miss a few balls long and you have to get used to it and adjust your game a bit.”
He said the Colorado matches at 5,000 feet will help the Vandals transition to Sunday’s match against Wyoming in Laramie, Wyo., where the elevation is even higher.
“Laramie sits over 7,000 feet,” Pollock said. “That’s like lightning fast and the ball is going to sail on us so we just have to be ready for that.”
He said Wyoming has a solid doubles pair that won regional’s, went to nationals and won one of the matches. He said Wyoming will be the toughest test of the weekend.
“I think the Wyoming match is going to be extremely difficult, they are a very good team and they are nationally ranked for a reason,” Pollock said.
He said ideally the team would have liked to get the Wyoming match out of the way first. Pollock said Wyoming is the least important match-up and the high altitude would have made the Colorado matches seem like nothing. Pollock doesn’t think the altitude will matter much to Idaho though, because its playing style should counteract it.
“Honestly, the way our game is structured I think it could be beneficial to us playing at altitude as opposed to detrimental,” Pollock said. “We get to the ball, and we hit the ball great so it should be fine.”
Sophomore Alejandra Lozano said she feels Idaho is prepared for a tough weekend. She said the match-up against BSU last weekend prepared the Vandals for the big crowds they are sure to see this weekend.
“Against Boise state we were kind of nervous because we were playing there but I think we can do much better this weekend,” Lozano said.
Pollock said it wasn’t the size of the crowd at BSU that hurt the team, rather the type of crowd — screaming and yelling during points. He said he doesn’t see the crowd being an issue at all for the team this weekend.
Pollock would like to win all three matches but said a 2-1 result would do. He said it’s a great experience for Idaho to travel and play matches that are outside the WAC, but still regional.
“Having a good weekend will be great,” Pollock said. “I just want them to go out and give it their all and try their best to win … the results should take care of themselves if they do that.”