PHOENIX, Arizona – The Idaho State men's tennis team's incredible postseason run came to a close on Saturday morning, falling just short in a tightly contested 2–4 match against No. 1 seed Northern Arizona in the Big Sky Conference Tournament Championship at the Phoenix Tennis Center. The No. 3 seeded Bengals made their first championship match appearance since 2021, battling the Lumberjacks throughout a match that was decided by narrow margins up and down the lineup.
"I'm very proud of what this group has accomplished this year", Head Coach Oliver Good shared following the match. "We left it all out there and came up just short, but we walk away with our heads held high.
Our seniors Valentino, Quentin and Tyler were amazing all year and we thank them for everything they have done for our program. They have finished playing now but will always be Bengals.
We'll be back next year and look forward to giving it all we have again."
Idaho State vs. Northern Arizona Match Report
(Saturday – Phoenix, Arizona | Big Sky Championship)
Doubles
Northern Arizona claimed the doubles point with wins on courts one and three, but the session was tightly contested from start to finish, with all three matches closely played.
Singles
Idaho State continued to battle in singles play, earning two victories and pushing multiple courts deep into competitive sets as the championship came down to a handful of key moments.
- No. 1 Singles: Valentino De Pellegrin fell to Noa Tcherniack, 2–6, 6–2, 4–6.
- No. 2 Singles: Sep de Visser defeated Jakub Jedrzejczak, 6–4, 4–6, 6–2.
- No. 3 Singles: Hayden Ciguenza fell to Jakub Volesky, 4–6, 4–6.
- No. 4 Singles: Sam Wensley defeated Takumi Katsuda, 6–4, 7–6.
- No. 5 Singles: Luka Vujacic vs. Felix Neumeister, unfinished 6–7, 6–3, 0–1.
- No. 6 Singles: Rafael Maya fell to Daniels Tens, 5–7, 2–6.
Despite going down 0-3 to begin the match, the Bengals were within striking distance throughout, with multiple courts going the distance and momentum shifting back and forth across the lineup. Idaho State's wins from Sep de Visser at No. 2 and Sam Wensley at No. 4 singles kept the match tight late into the contest, while Luka Vukacic's unfinished match highlighted just how narrow the margin was between the two teams.
