SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Idaho State men's tennis team opened their spring slate with a doubleheader in Salt Lake City, Utah taking on the University of Utah Utes Saturday morning and afternoon. The Bengals would defeat the Utes last season for their first-ever win over Utah and a PAC-12 opponent. This time around the Bengals are seeking their second and third ever wins over the Utes as well as their first-ever win over a BIG-12 opponent.
Beginning in the doubles matches from their first match of the doubleheader, the Bengals would get out to a strong start, with freshmen,
Lewie Bouman and
Hayden Ciguenza earning their first collegiate doubles win, defeating Applegate/Citadini 6-3.
Victor Sklenka and
Valentino De Pellegrin would finish things off for ISU in doubles play, defeating Jarvis/Taramo in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (7-2), earning Idaho State the doubles point in Match #1. In the #2 doubles match
Quentin Lamothe and
Jowan Rawson would have their match go unfinished, as they were also in the midst of a tiebreaker, 6-6 (2-2).
Heading into singles play up 1-0 ISU knew that Utah would come fighting in singles play.
Quentin Lamothe in the #4 singles match and
Sam Wensley in the #5 spot would each fall in straight sets, however,
Victor Sklenka would take care of business in the #2 singles match, defeating E. Potter, 6-3, 6-2, knotting the team scorers back up at 2.
Valentino De Pellegrin and
Jowan Rawson would both find themselves up in the first sets, but both would fall in tiebreakers, and subsequently in straight sets, giving Utah the team victory. In the final singles match,
Lewie Bouman would fall 0-6 in the first set, however, showed great fight and determination as Bouman would come back to defeat N. Calixto in three sets, 0-6, 6-4, 6-4, to earn his first NCAA singles win. Unfortunately for Idaho State, they would fall just short in match number one of the day, losing 3-4.
Picking up later in the afternoon for the second match of the day, it would seem to be a much different story, and almost feel like two different teams.
In the doubles matches
Valentino De Pellegrin and
Victor Sklenka would down Jarvis/Teramo 6-3 in the #1 position, however
Jowan Rawson and
Quentin Lamothe would fall in a tiebreaker in the #2 doubles match, 6-7 (5-7), and
Luka Vujacic and
Sam Wensley would fall 5-7 in the #3 doubles match, giving the Utes the doubles point.
In singles play the Utes would move too quick for Idaho State, with
Jowan Rawson,
Hayden Ciguenza, and
Sam Wensley all falling in straight sets to give Utah the 4-0 win.
Valentino De Pellegrin,
Quentin Lamothe, and
Luka Vujacic's remaining singles matches would go unfinished.
Head coach Oliver Good shared his thoughts on his team's play from the opening week of the season, "We competed hard and were very close in the first match. We put ourselves right there again for the second doubles point, but credit to Utah for the way they played in the second singles matches.
We will look to build on this and get ready for a big weekend ahead, starting with Boise State this Friday".
UP NEXT
The Bengals' will have four matches this coming week, a doubleheader on Friday in Boise, taking on Boise State and Eastern Washington in a non-conference matchup, as well as their first home matches in Reed Gym this season as they host Colorado Mesa University for a doubleheader on Saturday, February 1
st at 9 AM & 6 PM.
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