PORTLAND – The Portland State women's tennis team returns home this weekend as the Vikings host Idaho State in a Big Sky Conference dual at the Vancouver Tennis Center on Saturday.
The Vikings enter the weekend with a 3-6 overall record and a conference mark of 1-2 after finishing last weekend's trip to Washington with two losses. PSU dropped a non-conference bout with Gonzaga 4-0 before ending the weekend with a 7-0 loss in conference to Eastern Washington.
Alli Valk and
Emily Rees earned the lone win on the weekend, taking the No. 3 doubles against Eastern 6-3, improving their dual record to 3-1 as a duo.
Portland State has struggled on the road, holding an 0-5 record away from the VTC, and has currently lost three consecutive duals as the Vikings look to get back on the winning side of things against the Bengals.
Valk and
Gerda Upeniece have found the most success for the Vikings to this point, playing primarily at the No. 5 and No. 6 spots respectively. Both have tallied six wins to lead PSU while Upeniece holds a 6-6 record on the season, 3-1 in dual play.
In doubles,
Eszter Zador and
Jacinta Milenkoski continue to lead the Vikings, holding a record of 5-3 together, winning three matches at No. 2 and two matches at No. 3. Valk and Rees have also performed well as a team, winning three of their last four matches at No. 3.
SCOUTING IDAHO STATE:
The Bengals travel to Oregon with a 4-5 overall record, starting Big Sky play with an 0-2 record after falling to Eastern 6-1 and Idaho 5-2. Idaho State has won two of its last five duals, most recently claiming a 7-0 sweep of Lewis-Clark State College back on Feb. 17. The Bengals have struggled on the road to this point, losing four road matches and another at a neutral site.
Idaho State was selected to finish seventh in the Big Sky Preseason Coaches' poll, collecting 50 points in the poll. Last season the Bengals ended the year with a 9-10 record, going 4-6 in conference play.
Hristina Cvetkovic leads the Bengals with a 5-3 record in dual play, playing all eight matches at the No. 1 spot. She is 1-1 in conference play, earning a win over Eastern Washington's top player. Madison Fenske has collected a 4-4 record, winning one match at No. 4 while holding a 3-4 record at the sixth spot. In doubles, Alexandra Arkhipov and Angela Walker lead Idaho State with a 6-2 record, picking up all six wins at No. 2. Megan Poe and Cvetkovic combine for a 4-4 record at No. 1 while Viktoria Pavlovets and Adriene Pavek are a perfect 3-0 at No. 3.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. IDAHO STATE:
The Bengals hold a slight lead over the Vikings in the all-time series between these two teams as the Vikings trail 11-7. Idaho State was won the last three straight meetings, collecting a 5-2 win last year. Portland State had won four in a row from 2013-2016, with their most recent win coming in 2016 with a 7-0 result.
