PORTLAND – Traveling for the first time in nearly a month, the Portland State women's tennis team heads to Washington for two matches as the Vikings take on Gonzaga before facing Eastern Washington in Big Sky play.
The Vikings (3-4, 1-1 Big Sky) split last weekend's matches, defeating Whitman 7-0 in non-conference play while falling to Northern Arizona 6-1 for their first conference loss of the season.
Emily Rees improved her dual record to 3-2, winning at the No. 6 spot against Lumberjacks 6-3, 6-3. She has won her last three matches, holding the longest active win-streak in singles play for Portland State.
Gerda Upeniece and
Alli Valk lead the Vikings with six singles win each, as Valk holds a 4-3 record in duals while Upeniece is 3-0 in non-conference matches.
Eszter Zador and
Jacinta Milenkoski have dominated in doubles since the spring season began, holding a 5-1 record while winning their last four straight matches. Zador and Milenkoski lead the Big Sky in doubles win percentage at .833, playing two or more matches than any other duo in the conference.
Nina Nikitovic is tied for first in win percentage at No. 3 in the Big Sky, holding a 3-2 record while Valk is second at No. 5, also going 3-2 in dual play.
SCOUTING GONZAGA:
Gonzaga hosts its third straight dual when the Vikings come to play, riding a two-match win streak with a 4-2 win over Fresno State and a 4-0 result against Seattle in its most recent dual. The Bulldogs began their win-streak against Xavier winning 4-3 in a neutral site match hosted by Michigan State. Gonzaga is 2-0 against Big Sky opponents this season, defeating Idaho 4-1 and Eastern Washington 4-0.
Vlada Medvedcova leads the Zags with a 12-6 overall record, holding a 4-4 mark at No. 4. She finished tournament play with an 8-2 record while Cate Broerman holds an 11-7 record, winning two matches at No. 1 and two matches at No. 2 in dual play. Medvedcova and Kate Ketels have been the best duo for Gonzaga, holding a 7-3 record while going 3-2 at the No. 1 spot. Medvedcova leads the Zags with 10 total doubles victories.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. GONZAGA:
Gonzaga has given the Vikings some trouble in the past, holding a perfect 13-0 record against Portland State. In the Zags' last meeting with PSU, the Bulldogs won 7-0 at home during the 2013 season.
SCOUTING EASTERN WASHINGTON:
The Eagles enter the weekend with 3-3 record, opening Big Sky play with a 6-1 win over Idaho State in their last dual. Eastern began the spring season with a 5-2 over Seattle while sweeping Division III opponent Whitworth. The Eagles will play two Big Sky matches this weekend as they face off against Idaho on Saturday prior to hosting the Vikings.
Picked to finish fourth in the Big Sky Preseason Coaches' poll with 67 points, Eastern Washington is coming off a 12-10 record, going 8-2 in conference duals. The Eagles advanced to the conference tournament as the fourth seed, falling to fifth-seed Southern Utah 4-3 in the first round.
Three Eagles' have tallied three singles wins in dual play with Rylee Braeden holding a 3-2 mark at No. 2, Louise Waite sitting at 3-2 at No. 3, and Yasmin Mansouri with a 3-3 record at No. 4. Braeden and Zoey Nelson lead Eastern Washington in doubles play, winning three matches at No. 1.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. EASTERN WASHINGTON:
Eastern Washington has held the advantage over the Vikings, winning the last four matches while holding a 19-6 record overall. The Eagles picked up a road victory last season, winning 6-1. The Vikings won three matches in a row from 2013-2015, earning a 7-0 result in their last victory.
