Feb. 20, 2010
Final Stats
Box Score: Idaho State 4 - North Dakota 3 
Pocatello, ID - The Idaho State women's tennis team broke its 25-match losing streak dating back to 2008 when the Bengals defeated North Dakota 4-3 at Reed Gym Saturday afternoon. Both senior Sophie Dang and sophomore Rilee Moorhead swept the day in doubles and singles. Freshman Amy Bettis clinched the victory for Idaho State at the No. 2 spot with her three set match to maintain her undefeated record of 3-0 in singles play.
Idaho State 25-match losing streak stretched over three seasons. The Bengals' last victory was a 6-1 decision over Cal State Bakersfield on March 25, 2008. Idaho State improved to 1-2 while the Fighting Sioux fell to 2-5 for the season. The last time ISU started a season with a 1-2 record was in 2007.
"I think if you start looking at the season the wins are coming from new players. We're a better team than we have been, it's that simple," said Head Coach Bobby Goeltz.
Freshman Bettis, whose victory clinched the match, defended her undefeated record improving to 3-0 while climbing the Bengal line-up. All three of her singles contests have been three set matches, but she has climbed from the No. 4 to the No. 2 position where she posted a 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-3 over Erin Kappers.
"You throw them in the deep end and test them," said Head Coach Goeltz about his decision to continue to move Bettis forward in the lineup. She certainly has responded as the freshman leads the Big Sky in winning percentage for singles play, tied with Northern Colorado's Tabatha Knop who also holds a 3-0 record.
Idaho State opened the match with its third straight doubles point winning two of the three contests. Dang and Moorhead remain undefeated as they posted an 8-4 decision over Katie Callison and Erin Larson at the No. 2 spot. Dang and Moorhead lead the Big Sky Conference in winning percentage for doubles play with a 3-0 record.
Freshmen Bettis and Rachel Ryan posted their first doubles loss of the season when they were overcome 8-5 by Chelsey Galipeau and Megan Sween at the No. 3 spot. Senior Lisel Lewis and sophomore Risa Fujiwara clinched the doubles point when they defeated Hallie Welk and Kappers 9-8 (7-4) at the No. 1 spot.
"They are starting to take pride in doubles," said Goeltz. "Once you start to take pride in the doubles you start to believe what you are doing. Then you start believing what you are doing and you win, then the confidence comes. That can start to roll over into singles."
Senior Dang went on to post her first sweep of the season when she defeated Welk in straight sets at the No. 3 spot in a 6-2, 6-4 decision. Dang's victory put the Bengals up 2-0. Idaho State would still maintain the lead after Lewis was overcome 7-5, 6-2 at the No. 1 spot by Callison. Lewis was up 4-1 in the first set of her singles contest.
Confidence has been a huge factor for the Bengals as the only two upperclassmen, seniors Lewis and Dang have undergone losing seasons in the past.
"Look at the record, why should they think they could win. There was some of that going on today. In the case of Sophie she got a little shaky, but you look at Rilee and Amy and they don't know what it's been like the last two years," said Goeltz.
"With Lisel and Sophie in their defense they've been through heck in the last three years, with no players behind them. Every match if they didn't win it was over. Today Sophie stepped up to bat. The other players are picking it up and that's how you get to four points. That's what it's all about. It doesn't matter which players win the points."
Moorhead also posted her first sweep of the season when she improved to a 2-1 singles record with her 6-0, 7-6 (7-5) contest over Larson. Moorhead's victory set the Bengals up for success as they led 3-1 in the dual match before Bettis would roll through her three set contest to hand the Bengals its victory.
Therese Karlsson moved up to the No. 5 spot and fell in a contest that couldn't have been any closer with a two set double tiebreaker, 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (8-6) to Galipeau. Ryan played her first singles contest of the regular season at the No. 6 spot where she fell 6-2, 6-4 to Sween.
Even with the victory in Idaho State's pocket Head Coach Goeltz looks to the future as he rebuilds his program.
"We've got a lot of room for improvement," said Goeltz. "I was saying to them we are up in matches then we start to get nervous, that makes no sense whatsoever. You get up in a match, you focus and you take them out. That's the next level of play we have to get to."
The Bengals return to the court on Sunday, February 28 when ISU hosts Montana at 10 a.m. at Reed Gym.
