MATCH NOTES
ABOUT IDAHO STATE
The Idaho State women's tennis team hosts two matches this week. ISU hosts Weber State on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 3 p.m. at the Reed Gym Indoor Courts. The Bengals enter the match at 0-2 while the Wildcats are currently 0-7. Idaho State then hosts Portland State in the first conference match-up of the season. The match will be held at the Reed Gym Indoor Courts and begin at 2 p.m. The Vikings are currently 1-5 overall and 0-1 in conference play
The Idaho State men will face Nevada on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 5 p.m. The Wolfpack is currently 3-3 and 0-1 in conference while the ISU men are 2-6 overall and 1-1 in Big Sky play.
BENGAL MEN STANDOUTS
The ISU men return three players including junior
Nate Gross who led the Bengals last season with a 13-6 singles record at the No. 3-No. 6 positions and senior
Dan Buckingham who posted a 5-12 singles record at the 4-6 positions. This season, Gross has managed a 3-5 singles record as well as a 3-5 doubles record with Buckingham. ISU also welcomes Scottsdale CC transfer
Charles Norman who holds a 2-6 singles record at the No. 1 position.
BENGAL WOMEN TO WATCH
The Bengal women return six players from last year's team including seniors
Katharina Marsela,
Laura Porras and
Rilee Moorhead. Marsela finished the 2011 season with a 5-11 singles record at the No. 1 position (2-6 BSC) while also posting a 6-9 doubles record with
Laura Porras. Porras led the Bengals with a 10-6 singles record at the No. 3 position (4-4 BSC) while Moorhead went 5-11 in singles at the No. 2 position (2-6 BSC) and 5-10 in doubles at the No. 2 position.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
The Bengal men's and women's tennis team house eight international students from several different countries. On the men's team there is junior
Charles Norman from South Africa, freshman
Andres Coello from Ecuador and freshman Krzyzstof Stempien from Poland. The women's team includes three players from Colombia (
Laura Porras,
Marian Tangarife and Zamaria Vasquez),
Laura Severino from Brazil and
Katharina Marsela from Indonesia.
ABOUT WEBER STATE
The match on Wednesday will be Weber State's eighth of the season while it is only the third for ISU. The Wildcats come into the match with a 0-7 record. The Wildcats won the last meeting between the two programs in a 4-3 decision on April 13, 2011. Idaho State took a 2-0 lead against Weber State before falling short in singles action, dropping four of the six singles contests to give ISU a 4-3 conference loss in the Bengals' final home match of the season at Reed Gym. Porras was the only Bengal to sweep both her doubles and singles matches.
ABOUT PORTLAND STATE
The Vikings come to Idaho State with a 1-5 overall record and 0-1 Big Sky record.
Laura Porras and
Rilee Moorhead captured singles victories in Idaho State's 5-2 loss at Portland State last season. Moorhead swept both her doubles and singles contests.
ABOUT NEVADA
The Wolfpack enters the match with a 3-3 record. Idaho State took at 5-2 victory against the University of Nevada in the last meeting on April 23, 2004. The Bengals took five singles wins to claim the match.
Nevada took the first point of the match, winning two of the three doubles matches. ISU then battled back in singles competition, winning five of the six contests to win the match.
FRESHMAN, STEMPIEN SHOWING PROMISE
Krzyzstof Stempien has been a real asset to Idaho State's men's tennis team this season. The freshman is 4-4 in singles competition so far this season after most recently defeating Portland State's Mitch Somach 6-4, 6-4 at the No. 3 position. Stempien also holds a 2-5 doubles record with fellow freshman
Austin Miller.
MEN SELECTED TO FINISH SEVENTH IN PRESEASON POLL
The Idaho State men's tennis team was tabbed to finish seventh in the Big Sky preseason poll released by the conference office. The men received 23 points, finishing ahead of Portland State (18) and Northern Colorado (9). The Bengals finished eighth in the conference last season with a Big Sky record of 1-7. The defending champions of Sacramento State were selected to finish first in the preseason poll.
WOMEN TABBED TO FINISH NINTH IN PRESEASON POLL
The ISU women's tennis team was selected to finish ninth in the Big Sky preseason poll relseased by the conference office. The women received eight points after finished ninth in the conference last season with an 0-8 record. The Hornets of Sacramento State were selected to finished first after receiving eight of nine first place votes. The Hornets finished first in the Big Sky last season after winning the conference championship.
