Match Notes
BENGALS IN ACTION THIS WEEK
Idaho State looks to break a five-match losing streak and earn it's first Big Sky victory in its final match of the season when the Bengals play at Portland State on Wednesday, April 20 at the Club Green Meadows in Vancouver, Wash. The match begins at 8 a.m. Idaho State leads the series 3-2 in the last eight years and comes off a 6-1 victory over the Vikings at the University of Portland last season.
WOMEN'S TENNIS NOTES
• The Bengal women own a 3-11 overall record for the season, ISU's best win total since 2004. The Bengals look for its first Big Sky victory as the team is 0-7 going into their last league match. Portland State was ISU's only Big Sky victory last season.
• ISU comes off a 7-0 loss at Northern Colorado. ISU's has fallen 7-0 in three matches this season, but only dropped all of its singles and doubles matches in one dual match. On the other hand, the Bengals have swept two of its opponents 7-0 and captured victories at every doubles and singles positions. ISU defeated the College of Idaho and Western New Mexico in the perfect sweeps.
• The Bengals return to Portland State for the second year in a row. ISU traveled to Portland last year playing the Vikings at the University of Portland where the Bengals captured a 6-1 win over Portland State for ISU's only Big Sky win of the season. ISU leads the series 3-2 in the last eight years.
• ISU is on a five-match losing streak. ISU's last victory was a 6-1 decision over South Dakota in Las Vegas. In march alone, the Bengals posted a 3-3 record. ISU has yet to win a dual match in April.
• The Bengals perform well on the road when the conditions are even. ISU is 0-4 in away matches but 2-3 in neutral contests.
• Seven-point tiebreakers have been difficult for the Bengals to overcome this season as the team is 0-6 in the elusive tiebreakers. However, the women are 3-1 in 10-point tiebreakers. Freshman
Zamira Vasquez fell in the first 10-point tiebreaker of the season at Northern Colorado at the No. 6 spot.
• Junior transfer
Laura Porras leads the Bengals with an 8-6 singles record (57.1 percent) which she has earned at the No. 3 spot. She also owns the best doubles record with partner
Katharina Marsela with a 6-7 record. The duo held a 5-6 record at the No. 2 spot before moving to the No. 1 position in its last two matches where the duo now own a 1-1 record.
PORRAS AND VASQUEZ COMPETED IN PATINAJE
“Patinaje” is a professional sport in which the competitors race around on a track using rollerblades. This sport is one of the most popular in Colombia; where the women are the world champions. Porras competed when she was 13 while Vasquez was seven. Both admit the sport takes a lot of endurance and is extremely painful, especially when one falls. That pain influenced the Colombian's to switch to tennis as their sport.
WOMEN DROP HEARTBREAKER AGAINST WEBER STATE
The Bengal women held a 2-0 lead over Weber State before falling 4-3 on Wednesday afternoon. ISU captured their fourth doubles point of the season with victories at the No. 1 and 2 spots then
Laura Porras earned ISU's first singles victory. ISU then dropped its singles contests at the No. 4, 1 and 2 spots to give Weber State a 3-2 lead. Weber State took the match by winning at No. 5. Freshman
Zamira Vasquez ended the day on a positive note capturing a straight set victory at the No. 6 spot.
WOMEN CAPTURE FOUR DOUBLES POINTS
The women have collected a total of four doubles points this season sweeping the College of Idaho and Western New Mexico and winning the top two contests against South Dakota and Weber State. 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.
THE LEWIS AND CLARK CONNECTION
When it comes to recruiting it's all about connections and the Bengal men's and women's team is no stranger to this rule. ISU's
Rilee Moorhead transferred to Idaho State last season from Lewis and Clark State. Her former teammate saw the success the new Bengal was having and decided to join her friend. The addition was a welcome one for ISU as
Katharina Marsela, affectionately called “Sela” played No. 1 singles for two years and No. 1 doubles in 2010. She also made two appearances at the NAIA National Championship.
MEN'S TENNIS NOTES
• The Bengal men ended the season with a 6-1 victory over Northern Colorado to capture ISU's first Big Sky win of the season. The men dropped the doubles point but swept all six singles contests. ISU's win total improved to four; ISU's best mark since the 2006 season.
• Sophomore Nate Gross ended the season with a 13-6 singles record marking the second best single season record since 2005 at Idaho State. Gross posted a 4-2 record at the No. 3 spot and a 7-4 record at the No. 4 spot. He was the only Bengal to earn double-figure wins.
• Senior Danel Barrenechea ended his career by sweeping his doubles and singles contests at Northern Colorado in his last dual match. Barrenechea earned 17 career singles wins.
• The ISU men were most successful at the No. 4 spot posting a combined 11-8 record (57.9 percent) at the position, helped primarily by Nate Gross' 7-4 record at the position. Junior Dan Buckingham went 2-0 at the No. 4 spot.
• Though the Bengals won four matches during the season they only captured two doubles points; ISU had 13 different combinations of doubles teams during the season.
• Idaho State was very competitive in singles during the season going to 14 seven-point tiebreakers, 11 10-point tiebreakers and eight three set matches. ISU was 6-8 in seven-point tiebreakers led by Dan Buckingham with a 2-0 record. ISU was 5-6 in 10-point tiebreakers led by Colton Pate with a 2-0 record, followed by Nate Gross who was 1-0. The Bengals were 4-4 in three set matches with three undefeated players. Diego Cavalcanti was 2-0 in three set matches while Gross and Colton were 1-0 each.
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