Bengals Ride Two-Match Win Streak to Portland State

Match Notes

BENGALS IN ACTION THIS WEEK
The Bengal men's tennis team has won two straight matches and plays Portland State on Friday, April 1 at the Mountain Park Racquet Club in Lake Oswego. The dual match begins at 6 p.m. MT.

MEN AND WOMEN SHOW IMPROVEMENT
The Idaho State men's and women's teams have each captured three victories each this season. The last time the Bengal men had three or more victories was in 2006 when ISU finished the season with a 11-12 record. The last time the Bengal women had three or more victories was in 2004 when ISU finished with a 9-12 record.

MEN ON TWO-MATCH WIN STREAK
The men's team is on a two-game win streak having swept Seattle in a doubleheader 4-3 and 4-1 in Las Vegas. The last time the ISU men's team held a two-match win streak was in 2006 where the Bengals posted four two-match win streaks and one three-match win streak at the end of the season. ISU's three match win streak included defeats over Utah State (4-3) on the road, Northern Colorado (5-2) at home and Eastern Washington (4-1) at home in the first round of the Big Sky Conference Tournament.

SUNSHINE PUSHES CAVALCANTI TO EXCEL
Freshman Diego Cavalcanti enjoyed the sunshine of Las Vegas so much he went undefeated in the Sin City posting a 3-0 record while climbing his way up the singles ladder from position 3 to 1. He also went 1-1 in doubles at the No. 1 spot with partner Dakota Pate over Spring Break. Cavalcanti defeated Western New Mexico's Johan Weich in three sets, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 at the No. 3 spot at the Bally's Hotel on Tuesday. On Friday, he posted back-to-back victories in a double header with Seattle in Las Vegas. Cavalcanti defeated Matt Overland 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 at the No. 2 spot then overcame David Kovas 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 11-9 at the No. 1 spot. Cavalcanti improved to 7-6 in singles and is 1-0 at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots.

GROSS ONE VICTORY AWAY FROM 10 IN SINGLES
Sophomore Nate Gross leads the Bengals in singles victories with nine. He is one victory away from 10 for the season with his 9-5 record making him the only Bengal in the current line-up to achieve 10 singles victories in one season. Gross has already smashed his freshman record where he held a 6-7 record. At his usual No. 4 position, Gross posts a 5-4 record, the best record of any player at any position this season, being the only Bengal to win more than two matches at one spot.

MEN'S AND WOMEN'S DOUBLES POINTS
The Idaho State men's and women's teams captured their first doubles point of the season against the College of Idaho with both squads sweeping all three doubles matches. Since, the men's team captured its second doubles point of the season in their first match against Seattle winning two contests at 1 and 3. In 2006, the men were on top of their doubles matches winning eight doubles points including three sweeps and held a four-match doubles point streak. This season the ISU men's team has had 13 different combinations of doubles teams. The women have collected a total of three doubles point this season sweeping the College of Idaho and Western New Mexico and winning the top two contests against South Dakota for the point. In 2004, the women's team earned six doubles points, including two sweeps.

MARSELA EARNS FIRST BIG SKY PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Katharina Marsela earned her first Big Sky Player of the Week Honor for matches played between March 16-22 for her victory over Northern Arizona. Marsela is the first Bengal to pick up a player of the week award since 2006 when Denise Cockrell earned the honor. The junior transfer from Lewis and Clark State, defeated Northern Arizona's Edit Suhajda 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in Glendale, Ariz. at the No. 1 spot in her first three set match of the season. Marsela's victory was the lone win for the Bengals against NAU where she captured her third straight victory and improved her record to 3-2 at the No. 1 position.

TOP-NOTCH PLAY FROM PORRAS IN VEGAS
Junior transfer Laura Porras posted a 3-1 singles record at the No. 3 position and a 3-1 doubles record at the No. 2 spot in Las Vegas over Spring Break. Porras posted sweeps in singles and doubles over Western New Mexico and South Dakota. The Colombian native improved her singles record to 6-3 for the season, ISU's best record, all at the No. 3 position. Her 5-3 record in doubles at the No. 2 position with partner Katharina Marsela is the best mark on the team.

BENGAL WOMEN HOLD THEIR OWN IN TOP FOUR SPOTS
The Bengal women have set their top four spots with Marsela, Moorhead, Porras and Fujiwara. Combined these four Bengals have put together a 19-17 record (.528). Porras and Marsela hold winning records with Porras leading the way at 6-3 (.667) followed by Marsela with a 5-4 (.556) record together their record is extremely strong at 11-7 (.611). Both Moorhead and Fujiwara are 4-5 for the season.

MARSELA AND PORRAS LEAD ISU IN DOUBLES
Marsela and Porras lead the Bengals with a winning 5-3 record at the No. 2 spot. They have grown so connected that even off the court they refer to each other as partner. Currently the duo is on a two-match win streak.