The Vandals went on the road March 15 to take on two opponents in three days.
After a close loss in Reno, Idaho bounced back in California to win in a nail biter against Sonoma State.
Sophomore Lucia Badillos and freshman Marianna Petrei started hot against Nevada, beating their opponents 6-0 in doubles play.
Nevada rebounded with back-to-back doubles wins to secure the doubles point and begin singles competition with a 1-0 lead.
Idaho fought back despite the early deficit, as Badillos and senior Belen Barcenilla won their matches handily to give the Vandals a 2-1 advantage.
With the score in their favor, Idaho sent out Maria Tavares to take on Nevada’s Blaga Delic. Tavares fell in a close match 7-5, 6-3.
Freshman Celine Koets provided the Vandals with a one-point lead by defeating Adriana Gergelyova.
Koets’s win was the last for Idaho that afternoon. Nevada claimed two consecutive victories to give the Wolfpack a 4-3 win on the day.
“Getting the two early singles points helped us get back into the match,” said Idaho head coach Mariana Cobra. “Everyone fought hard today. We just had a few points go the other way and that was the difference.”
Despite the loss, Cobra said she was pleased with the team’s performance.
“I was happy with how the team fought,” Cobra said. “I think we are just one step away from winning these 4-3 matches. These losses are always tough, but we took some positives away from it.”
The positives came into play two days later, when the Vandals travelled from Reno to Sonoma, California.
Koets and Petrei won the first doubles match against Sonoma State, but the Seawolves came back to beat the Vandals in the next two. Badillos and senior Rita Bermudez fought hard in doubles play but came up short.
Petrei once again provided a dominating display in singles play. The freshman beat Jordyn Kearney of the Seawolves 6-0 and 6-1 to earn a singles point for Idaho. Petrei has dominated the No.1 singles slot with a 12-2 record on the season.
Sonoma State’s Jensyn Warren and Kaitlyn Haithcock both earned victories on the No. 2 and No. 3 courts. The wins kept Sonoma State competitive, despite the Vandals commanding start.
Not long after, Koets continued her win streak against opponent Amanda Zuidema, claiming a 6-2, 6-4 victory.
Barcenilla and Badillos also won their matches on the No. 5 and No. 6 courts. The duo’s demanding wins were enough to push the momentum in Idaho’s favor and seal the win.
Idaho emerged with a 5-4 victory on the afternoon.
The Vandals would continue their road trip with a visit to Big Sky rival Sacramento State.
Brandon Hill can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @brandonmtnhill Â