fter battling through an up-and-down regular season to earn a postseason berth, the Idaho men’s tennis team saw its 2025-26 campaign come to an end in the opening round of the Big Sky Conference Tournament on April 23.
The No. 5 seeded Vandals (8-18, 3-4 Big Sky) fell 4-2 to No. 4 Montana State (8-12, 3-4) at the Phoenix Tennis Center, a result that mirrored their earlier meeting this season.
Idaho entered the tournament looking for redemption after a 4-3 loss to the Bobcats during the regular season, and early on, the Vandals looked poised to flip the script.
The All-Big Sky pairing of Chetanna Amadike and Gabriel Moroder delivered a strong performance on court one, earning a 6-2 victory. The duo, which finished the season with a 12-7 overall record and All-Conference honors, once again showcased its ability to generate early momentum.
That energy carried over to court two, where Mikolaj Lis and Noe De Col battled through a tightly contested start. Locked at 3-3, the Vandals surged late, winning three straight games to secure a 6-3 set victory and clinch the doubles point.
With a 1-0 lead heading into singles play, Idaho found itself in a familiar position.
Freshman Valentin Glasl extended that advantage early in singles action. After falling behind 2-0 in the opening set on court six, Glasl responded with a dominant stretch, winning eight consecutive games to take control of the match. He carried that momentum through the second set to earn a straight-set victory, giving Idaho a 2-0 lead in the dual.
Other than that, it was all Bobcats on Thursday. They claimed wins across the middle of the lineup, taking courts two and one to cut into Idaho’s lead and shift momentum. As the match progressed, Montana State continued to apply pressure, eventually picking up additional victories on courts three and four to secure the 4-2 win and advance to the semifinal round.
For Idaho, the result was another example of how narrow the margin has been throughout the season. Multiple conference matches, including both meetings with Montana State, were decided in the final moments, with the Vandals unable to consistently find the decisive point.
Still, the season featured several notable accomplishments.
Idaho opened conference play with back-to-back wins over Idaho State and Sacramento State and later secured a crucial victory over Weber State to clinch its second consecutive Big Sky Tournament appearance.
Individually, the season was highlighted by the play of senior captain Amadike. Competing at the No. 1 singles position, Amadike earned unanimous First Team All-Big Sky honors after posting a 15-9 record and securing wins against several high-level opponents, including Boise State, Gonzaga and Utah.
He also made history within the program, earning four Big Sky Player of the Week honors, which ties both the Idaho and conference single-season records. The loss marked the final collegiate match for Amadike, the team’s lone senior and leader throughout the season.
Alongside Moroder, Amadike also earned Second Team All-Conference recognition in doubles, forming one of the most consistent duos in the league.
Moroder added to Idaho’s postseason accolades with a Second Team All-Big Sky selection in singles, finishing 12-11 overall and 5-1 in conference play.