Idaho Vandals Women’s Tennis Falls to Eastern Washington 1-6 to Close Regular Season in Moscow, Idaho
The University of Idaho Vandals women’s tennis team concluded its regular season on Saturday, April 18, with a 1-6 loss to Eastern Washington University in Moscow, Idaho. The match brought Idaho’s regular season record to 10-10, while Eastern Washington finished at 11-8.
Despite the lopsided final score in singles play, the Vandals showed resilience and competitive spirit by winning the doubles point to open the match — a bright spot that could carry momentum into the postseason.
Vandals Claim Doubles Point Before Singles Struggles
Idaho came out of the gates with purpose in doubles competition. The pairing of Valentina Rodas and Chenyue Xu delivered a dominant 6-2 win on court two, while Soha Singh and Naomi Schraeder secured a 6-4 victory on court three to clinch the doubles point for the Vandals. The only doubles loss came when Eastern Washington’s Zoe Pradel and Olivia Marais defeated Idaho’s Ida Johansson and Hanna Koprowska by a score of 6-1.
Winning the doubles point gave Idaho a 1-0 advantage heading into singles play, but the Eagles responded with authority across all six courts. Eastern Washington swept the singles matches to take the overall match 6-1.
In singles action, Chenyue Xu put up a tough fight before falling to Leandra Nizetic 4-6, 6-1, 6-3. Naomi Schraeder dropped a closely contested match to Anait Arutiunian that went to a super-tiebreak, ultimately losing 6-3, 7-6, 1-0 (9-7). Valentina Rodas, a senior, dropped a three-set battle to Aneliss Zamfirescu 0-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-8) in another match that went down to the wire. Hanna Koprowska fell to Zoe Pradel 6-4, 6-3, Ida Johansson lost to Veronika Gayevyk 6-4, 1-6, 6-2, and Soha Singh dropped her match to Olivia Marais 6-3, 6-1.
Eyes Now Turn to Big Sky Conference Championships
With the regular season behind them, the Vandals now shift their attention to the Big Sky Conference Women’s Tennis Championships, scheduled for April 22–26. The quick turnaround gives Idaho little time to dwell on Saturday’s result and will require the team to regroup and refocus quickly.
The doubles point has been a key component of Idaho’s game, and Saturday’s performance demonstrated that the Vandals can compete at a high level in that format. Consistency in doubles play, combined with sharper execution in singles lineups, will be central to any postseason success. The Vandals will need to bottle the confidence from earlier wins this season while addressing the vulnerabilities exposed in late-season singles competition.
Senior Valentina Rodas, whose match against Zamfirescu went to a third-set tiebreak, will look to make an impact in what could be her final postseason run as a Vandal. The roster also features a mix of underclassmen, including sophomores Chenyue Xu, Hanna Koprowska, and Soha Singh, who will gain valuable experience heading into conference play.
The University of Idaho athletic program continues to build competitive rosters across multiple sports. Vandal fans looking to follow all things Idaho athletics — including recent additions to the men’s basketball program — can read about ‘Kase is coming home’: Idaho native returning to the Palouse as a Vandal and the signing of Kase Wynott, former Gatorade Player of the Year, joining Vandal Hoops.
What Comes Next
The Idaho Vandals women’s tennis team will compete at the Big Sky Conference Women’s Tennis Championships beginning April 22 and running through April 26. Specific location and bracket details are expected to be released by the athletic department ahead of the tournament. Fans can stay up to date by following the Vandals on Instagram and X. Additional coverage of University of Idaho athletics and other Latah County community news is available at Idaho News and across the Idaho News Network.