Days after becoming the No. 51 ranked team in NCAA Division I women’s tennis, the Vandals wasted little time in proving themselves worthy of that ranking.
Idaho extended its winning streak to 10 matches Thursday, after sweeping the Sacred Heart Pioneers 7-0 in Honolulu.
“It’s been a good effort from all the girls,” Idaho coach Jeff Beaman said. “We have talent and we’ve been working hard. The girls competed hard and we had a lot of good, close sets in tough matches and we pulled it off.”
Led by seniors Almudena Sanz and Victoria Lozano, the Vandals (10-1) began the morning by sweeping the doubles matches — each by a score of 8-3.
Lozano won her No. 1 singles sets 6-3, 6-3 against the Pioneers’ Katie DeRienzo. Sanz defeated Gabi Kaldan 6-4, 6-3 in the No. 2 singles and freshman Galina Bykova won 6-2, 6-2 in the No. 3 spot.
“Galina continues to be really really impressive,” Beaman said. “It was a pretty quick match but that’s how she goes out — plays hard and takes care of business.”
Bykova defeated Sacred Heart’s Paige Olson for her eighth consecutive singles victory.
“I feel really good,” Bykova said. “I’m in great shape right now. It was a little bit weird (today) because it was outside, and for a long time I’ve played inside. It was a little sticky, but it was good.”
Playing indoor tennis and competing outside in humid conditions takes a toll, especially in the Hawaiian heat, Beaman said. However, he said it will help the team prepare for the conference tournament.
“It’s humid and hot — certainly different than playing indoor tennis,” Beaman said. “It’s a lot more grueling on the body when you’re sweating so much. It’s a good test. We’re getting practices in and matches to get used to the outdoor, sunny conditions to get ready for conference.”
The Vandals will round out the tripleheader against Hawaii Pacific on Friday and University of Hawaii on Saturday. Despite Hawaii’s 3-7 record, Beaman noted the quality of competition they’ve played recently, including No. 19 Baylor and No. 48 San Diego State.
“They’re playing many top programs, so they’re used to playing the highest level competition,” Beaman said.
The true test will come Friday against a team riding a winning streak of their own. The Hawaii Pacific Warriors (6-0) are ranked No. 4 in Division II tennis.
“Tomorrow we play against Hawaii Pacific and they’re a really good team,” Bykova said. “They beat WSU, so they’re going to be tough matches, but we’re ready.”
“Hawaii Pacific is a really good team,” Beaman said. “They have a shot to win the Division II National Championship. They’re always a highly ranked program, so it’ll be a tough one.”
Conor Gleason can be reached at [email protected]