Underdogs no more

Women’s tennis team back to Big Sky play after tough nonconference stretch

Overall, five of the eight wins for the Idaho women’s tennis team on the season have come in conference play, including Weber State’s first home loss March 8.

The Vandals will try to improve on that record at Southern Utah Friday and Northern Arizona Sunday.

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Part of this success could be attributed to the level of opponent the team played in nonconference play as teams from the Mountain West and Pac-12 dominate the Vandals’ nonconference schedule.

Competing with teams like Fresno State and Arizona keeps the team confident, senior Emmie Marx said.

She said moving back to a pair of Big Sky matches adds to the motivation combined with the confidence boost from playing top competition.

“Every time we play conference there is definitely some added motivation because that dictates whether we are going to make it to the Big Sky Tournament or not,” Idaho coach Mariana Cobra said.

Over spring break, the Vandals had the chance to play in the sunny conditions of California, which was a much different environment than they were used to playing in. But at the conference tournament in the Golden State, the experience they had in the conditions could prove to be vital, Marx said.

The conditions and different venues can play a role in how the experienced team plays, but at the end of the day the team knows how to play tennis, Cobra said. Many of the players on the team have played for 15 years or more.

Cobra said the Vandals are setting up to peak at the right time.

“If you look at us and how we have shaped up, I think we are about to peak right now,” Cobra said. “We are not yet playing our best tennis but we will in about four weeks, which is when conference is. You never want to be playing your best in January.”

There isn’t a team left on the schedule as good as the No. 35 ranked Arizona Wildcats, who the Vandals lost to March 19. The balance between conference and nonconference opponents has been beneficial for the Vandals, as they have gotten the chance to play tough competition early, but have been able to stay healthy for the home stretch.

“It is very important to keep it going,” Marx said. “This weekend we are the higher ranked team, so if we relax of course we have the target on our backs, so they are going to come full force. We can’t relax and we have to go in with the same intensity that we would against a ranked school.”

When it comes to practicing and preparing for opponents, tennis is much different than most other sports, Cobra said.

“Tennis is different than basketball, for instance where you do a practice just based on that team,” Cobra said. “We are practicing the same, working on our depth, making sure we are aggressive on the volleys. Even though we know the team, we haven’t seen every girl play.”

Joshua Gamez  can be reached at [email protected]

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