University of Idaho men’s tennis took a loss in Phoenix, Arizona on May 1 to the Idaho State University Bengals in the Big Sky Conference Tournament semifinal match, bumping them out of the competition for the season.
The Vandals headed into the semifinal match finishing No. 1 in the North Division with a conference record of 3-1.
Freshman Francisco Bascon received Vandal of the Week four times this season and led the Vandals to their North Division title win by providing nine single wins. Bascon finished with a perfect record of 4-0, winning his last four matches, and was named as the 2021 Big Sky Tennis MVP.
Bascon said his love for tennis started when he was around five years old. Bascon said his senior year of high school was when his dad encouraged him to come to the U.S. to continue his collegiate career because Spain was not as good at tennis as the U.S. was.
“Shortly after this conversation with my dad, I started the process of coming to the U.S. to continue my tennis career,” Bascon said. “UI was recommended to me, and I did not think twice about joining the team.”
Bascon has been a part of UI’s men’s tennis since fall 2019 and has continued to push through as a student-athlete through all the adversity the pandemic has brought forth. With his season cut short last spring because of pandemic shutdowns, Bascon managed to finish with a final record of 9-3 in singles this season.
Bascon said when the pandemic hit it Moscow, keeping the dynamic of the team while still being able to improve his own skills was difficult because he was not able to be close with all of his teammates.
“The pandemic has developed me not just into a better athlete, but a person as well,” Bascon said. “I am able to overcome difficulties now because I have matured as a person through this experience.”
Although the Vandals have faced a lot of challenges this year, such as not being able to play any home games and having to drive down to Lewiston frequently for practice, Bascon said the spring 2021 season has had the greatest impact on his growth as an athlete.
Bascon explained he was always nervous before and while he was playing in a match during his freshman season. Now, because of the pandemic, he said has learned to look at playing tennis from a different perspective. Bascon said after he had a whole season taken away from him, he enjoys playing tennis much more because of the lessons he’s learned about himself.
“Coming from last season where I was hardly able to play, I now know I have to put my everything out there and not waste time on the court,” Bascon said.
The Vandals wrapped up this short season with a final record of 7-6 and earned their first opportunity to play in the Big Sky Tournament since 2018 because of the pandemic.
“All I can say is that I’m proud of this team on how they handled all of the adversity this year,” head coach Daniel Hangstefer stated in a press release. “Everything has been asked of them, and they handled the year with grace and poise. No team has been through what this team has. We are a young team and return every player next year, and we will also be adding some new talent. This program has a bright future, and I cannot wait.”
This article was updated as Francisco Bascon has been named 2021 Big Sky Tennis MVP.
Morgan McDonough can be reached at [email protected]