POCATELLO, Idaho – The Idaho State women's tennis team returned to the win column with a 6–1 victory over Montana State on Wednesday afternoon at Reed Gym, improving to 9–7 overall and 3–2 in Big Sky play.
After a challenging road stretch, the Bengals responded with a complete performance, using a strong start in doubles and resilient singles play to secure the win.
"I loved starting off with the doubles point," head coach Gretchen Maloney said. "I felt like they really locked in for doubles and played well. Then going into singles, we were down on a lot of the courts and we came back."
That resilience was echoed by the players following the match.
"I think we all battled really tough," Stefanya Shalakhova said. "Almost everyone was down in sets, but we found a way to come back and take the win. I'm really proud of the girls and how we competed."
Doubles
The Bengals came out sharp in doubles play, securing the point with decisive wins on courts one and three.
Maloney also highlighted the growth of the No. 3 doubles pair.
"They figured it out. This last weekend they started to understand their roles and now they're really believing in each other."
At the top spot, Shalakhova pointed to aggressive play as a key factor.
"I think we were really aggressive at the net, especially Veronika," Shalakhova said. "We had a good first serve percentage and were taking our chances."
Millie Day also emphasized the chemistry in doubles play.
"Me and Emmy have great chemistry on and off the court," Day said. "Even when we go down, we're right back in it. That's just great teamwork."
Singles
Idaho State carried momentum into singles play, winning five of six matches, including three straight-set victories and two gritty three-set wins.
- No. 1 Singles: Millie Day (ISU) def. Wise (MSU), 7–6 (7–1), 6–2
- No. 2 Singles: Stefanya Shalakhova (ISU) def. Bean (MSU), 7–6 (7–2), 6–2
- No. 3 Singles: Asem Shoybek (ISU) def. Gelashvili (MSU), 7–5, 7–5
- No. 4 Singles: Emmy Richards (ISU) def. Stverakova (MSU), 2–6, 6–2, 6–2
- No. 5 Singles: Sydney Morris (ISU) fell to Bean (MSU), 3–6, 6–0, 0-1 (10–12)
- No. 6 Singles: Veronika Zarovna (ISU) def. Khirwar (MSU), 6–4, 5–7, 1-0 (10–6)
Despite the final score, the match featured tight first sets across the lineup before Idaho State pulled away late.
"I think the team really battled hard today and fought for every point," Day said. "Our first few singles matches were really close, and we won a lot of deuce points and came out on top."
Maloney credited the team's ability to adjust and grow during the match.
"Their resilience and ability to come back really stood out," she said. "They followed their game plans, and they just got better as the match went on."
She also highlighted key individual efforts.
"Millie wasn't feeling it early, but by the end she was on fire. Emmy made great adjustments, and Asem battled through a tough match. The score says 6–1, but it was a really tough match."
Maloney emphasized the importance of the result moving forward.
"We needed this win. After a couple tough losses, I wanted them to believe that we're still a great team, and they showed that today."
Day echoed that mindset as the season progresses.
"It's about mentality at this point," she said. "It's not how you start, it's how you finish, and I think that's what we showed today."
UP NEXT
The Bengals look to build on their 6-1 win today, as they travel to Missoula, Montana for their next match at the University of Montana Grizzlies on Sunday, April 5th at 2 P.M.
