Freshman women’s tennis player Maria Tavares is a long way from home.
Tavares’ home country of Portugal is approximately 5,000 miles away from Moscow, yet Tavares made the decision to join the Vandals during the fall semester.
The freshman has made an immediate impact, dominating the court in both singles and doubles. Tavares also possesses one of the best individual records on the team.
The freshman said her experience at a young age allowed her to develop into the player that she is today. Tavares said her mother, an avid tennis player, was the one who first sparked her interest in the sport.
“I started when I was six years old,” Tavares said. “I played both tennis and basketball when I was a kid, but eventually I had to choose one.”
Because her high school did not have a tennis team for her to play with, Tavares turned to private clubs.
Tavares dominated her competition and won seven regional championships. The freshman competed at events throughout several European countries: Spain, France, Denmark and Italy.
Tavares eventually earned the No. 1 women’s senior player ranking in Portugal and was heavily recruited by several universities.
Tavares chose to attend the University of Idaho after considering both her tennis career and the educational benefits. Tavares said a strong draw to Idaho was the connection she had with Vandal head coach Mariana Cobra, who also speaks Portuguese.
The freshman has provided a spark for the Vandals this spring season, compiling a 5-3 individual record and a 6-2 record with doubles partner Rita Bermudez.
Tavares said she prefers to play in doubles, but she has recently seen a successful streak in singles play.
Her strong performances have helped the Vandals overcome opponents such as Lewis-Clark State College, Whitman and Southern Utah. Tavares also played an instrumental role in doubles play in meetings with UNLV and Northern Arizona.
The highlight of her season was a shutout doubles match against LCSC, when she and partner Rita Bermudez routed Deanri Human and Jen Roux 6-0.
“I definitely like playing net,” Tavares said. “I love being aggressive.”
The freshman said her powerful backhand has enabled her success on the court. She said the ability is a rare attribute for the majority of right-handed players.
“I really like to drive it down the line, where (the other team) can’t hit it in time,” Tavares said.
Tavares credits team meetings for allowing her to develop as a player, as her team discusses goals for each upcoming match.
Tavares highlights a freshman class of three players that joined the program after the team won the Big Sky title last year.
The Vandals currently have a 6-4 record on the spring season, with a 2-1 record in conference play.
Brandon Hill can be reached at [email protected]