Match Notes
BENGALS IN ACTION THIS WEEK
The Idaho State men's and women's tennis teams host Weber State in the Bengals' final home games of the season. The men play Weber State Tuesday, April 12 at 1 p.m. while the women play Wednesday, April 13 at 1 p.m. Live stats are available for both matches at www.isubengals.com. ISU will only celebrate senior day on Tuesday because Danel Barrenechea is the only senior on both the men's and women's teams.
SENIOR DAY FOR BARRENECHEA
Last season the Bengals had just one men's senior Javier Royo, this season the lone senior is Danel Barrenechea. Barrenechea has posted a 16-42 singles record and is 8-18 in conference play. This season he has worked his way up from a spot at No. 3 his freshman year to the No. 2 position his sophomore and junior seasons to primarily the No. 1 spot his senior year. His 16 career singles wins is the fifth best mark since 2005. He has been most successful at the No. 2 and 3 singles spots putting together 15 of his 16 victories. He posts an 11-48 career doubles record which ties for the fourth best mark since 2005. He has been most successful in doubles at the No. 1 spot capturing eight victories.
SOPHOMORES STEP UP FOR BENGAL MEN
Sophomores Nate Gross and Colton Pate captured singles victories in ISU's 5-2 loss at Montana Saturday morning. Gross defeated Mikolaj Caruk 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 at the No. 4 spot while Colton posted ISU's second victory fighting back to overcome Ethan Vaughn 7-6, 2-6, 10-6 at the No. 6 position improving to 2-3 at the spot.
GROSS AND HIS WINNING WAYS
Sophomore Nate Gross is the most successful men's tennis player with an 11-6 singles record. He has won four of his last five matches, most recently competing in his first three set match of the season where he defeated Mikolaj Caruk 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 at the No. 4 spot. The Bengal improved his singles record to 11-6 for the season and his record at the No. 4 position to 7-4. Gross' 11 singles victories ties for the third best mark since 2005. Even if he wins his matches in ISU's last two dual contests the best he could do is finish second best with 13 as Masimba Ruwo holds the single season record with 14 in 2006.
MEN AND WOMEN SHOW IMPROVEMENT
The Idaho State men's and women's teams have each captured three victories this season. The last time the Bengal men had three or more victories was in 2006 when ISU finished the season with an 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.
GROSS CLIMBS THE RECORD BOOK
Sophomore Nate Gross is leading the Bengals in singles victories with an 11-6 record. He is the first player in double-figure wins since 2008 when Marc Pijoan captured 11. With his double-figure mark, Gross ties for the third most singles victories in a season since 2005. Masimba Ruwo holds the record with 14 achieved in 2006. For career singles victories since 2005 Gross holds the third best mark at 17, overcoming teammate and senior Danel Barrenechea with his victory over Montana on Saturday. Pijoan, a Spaniard like Barrenechea, leads the record with 35 career singles victories since 2005.
GROSS SWEEPS AT PORTLAND STATE
The men's tennis team is coming off a 6-1 loss at Portland State on April Fool's Day. Sophomore Nate Gross was the only Bengal to sweep his matches posting an 8-6 doubles victory with partner Colton Pate at the No. 3 spot defeating Nick Fracchia and Vetu Mam. Gross stomped Fracchia in singles 6-1, 6-2 at the No. 4 position to improve his record to 6-4 at the spot.
BENGAL MEN LOOK FOR FIRST WIN AT HOME
The Idaho State men's team looks for their first home victory this season when they host Weber State on Tuesday. The men's last home victory was a 6-1 contest over Northern Colorado in 2010. The women's last home victory was a 7-0 sweep over the College of Idaho this season.
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S DOUBLES POINTS
The ISU 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 points 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.
LAURA “THE WALL” PORRAS
Junior
Laura Porras earned the nickname “the wall” when she played at Tennessee Tech for her consistent play. She's beginning to pick up the same name at Idaho State. Her consistent play has earned her the best singles and doubles record on the team. Porras owns a 7-5 singles record at the No. 3 spot and a 5-6 doubles record at the No. 2 spot with partner
Katharina Marsela. She has won four of her last seven matches. Her last singles victory was against Montana State's Wena Tsan where the Bengal staved off three match points and won four straight points to end victorious in the tiebreaker 11-9. Porras posted a 3-6, 6-3, 11-9 victory over Montana State.
MARSELA PUTS UP STRONG FIGHT AT NO. 1 SPOT
Junior
Katharina Marsela who transferred to Idaho State from Lewis and Clark found herself unexpectedly at the No. 1 position. She has been able to hold her own posting a 5-7 record at the top spot, the second best mark on the team. She also owns a 5-6 doubles record at the No. 2 spot with partner
Laura Porras. The duo nearly overcame No. 50 Sacramento State, ISU's first ranked opponent of the season, when they held a 5-2 lead in the tiebreaker. However, ISU fell short losing the match 8-7 (7-5).
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