FLAGSTAFF, Arizona – The Idaho State women's tennis team took on the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks Sunday morning in Flagstaff, Arizona. The Bengals had dropped their last 30 matches in a row to NAU, dating all the way back to the late 1990's.
In the doubles matches, the O'Lideadha twins would take care of business in the #1 doubles match, downing NAU's Shoshyna/Guadiana 6-2. The next doubles match to finish was Hana Cho and Megan Lang-Gould, who would fall 3-6, leaving the doubles point up to Asem Shoybek and Stefanya Shalakhova in the #2 doubles match. This one would come down to the very end but Shalakhova and Shoybek would pull it out in a tiebreaker 7-6 (9-7) to give the Bengals the 1-0 lead heading into singles play.
In singles play, we pick up in the #1 singles match, where Hana Cho would fall in straight sets 0-6, 3-6.
Megan Lang-Gould, however, would refuse to lose, as she completed the come from behind victory in the #6 singles match 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
Lola O'Lideadha would come up with a big win for the Bengals in the #2 singles match, downing her opponent 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), giving Idaho State a 3-1 lead over NAU, needing just one more win in singles play to clinch the team victory.
Stefanya Shalakhova would be playing in the #5 singles match. Shalakhova would put on an impressive performance en route to a 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 win. Clinching the Bengals first win over the Lumberjacks in 31 matches.
Asem Shoybek would fall in the #3 singles match 1-6, 7-5, 2-6, and Sol O'Lideadha would finish up the match for the Bengals with a win in the #4 singles match 7-6 (9-7), 3-6, 6-3. Idaho State would go on to defeat Northern Arizona 5-2.
Following the win, the Bengals are winners of their last 6 in a row, and improve to 7-3 overall and 2-0 in Big Sky play.
Head Coach Gretchen Maloney had this to say following the team's first victory, "Our attitude going into the match was very positive, and the girls really believed they could win. Each girl made adjustments to their game to compensate for the high altitude.
We started strong with a big come back in doubles, and I think the momentum carried over to singles. Saving a few match points to win the doubles point, gave them belief going into singles. They are learning how to make adjustments mid match and that helped them get the victory. I am so proud of this crew."
The Bengals will return to the court on March 19th and 20th as they travel to Sacramento and San Francisco to take on Sacramento State and the University of San Francisco.