University of Idaho Women’s Tennis Sweeps Eastern Washington 4-0 in Big Sky Conference Tournament First Round in Phoenix
Vandals Open Big Sky Tournament with Dominant Performance in Arizona
PHOENIX, Ariz. — The University of Idaho Women’s Tennis team opened the Big Sky Conference Tournament on Thursday with a commanding 4-0 sweep of Eastern Washington University, securing a first-round victory and advancing deeper into the bracket. The match was played in Phoenix, Arizona, and the Vandals wasted no time establishing control from the opening point.
The win was particularly significant given that Eastern Washington had held an edge over Idaho in their most recent previous meeting. Thursday’s performance signaled a strong rebound for the Idaho Vandals, who improved their overall record to 11-10 on the season. Eastern Washington fell to 11-9 with the loss.
The Vandals built their momentum immediately by clinching the doubles point in the first two completed matches. The pairing of Ida Johansson and Hanna Koprowska took court one, defeating the Eastern Washington duo of Zoe Pradel and Olivia Marais 6-2. On court two, Valentina Rodas and Chenyue Xu dispatched Sara Vasic and Anait Arutiunian 6-3 to secure the doubles point for Idaho before the third court match was completed. Soha Singh and Naomi Schraeder had taken a 4-3 lead on court three when the doubles competition was called.
Singles Play Seals the Sweep for Idaho
With the doubles point secured, Idaho turned to singles competition and continued to roll. Chenyue Xu led the way for the Vandals, winning her match against Leandra Nizetic of Eastern Washington by a score of 6-4, 6-0 — holding her opponent scoreless in the second set to give Idaho an early clinching point in singles.
Ida Johansson followed with a straight-set win over Veronika Gayevyk, 6-2, 6-2, surrendering just four total games across both sets. Soha Singh added another dominant straight-set victory, defeating Aneliss Zamfirescu 6-1, 6-2, clinching the overall match win for Idaho without the Vandals surrendering a single set in completed singles play.
Hanna Koprowska had won her first set 6-2 and was locked in a tight second set at 4-5 when the day’s competition was called and the match was awarded to Idaho. Several other singles matches remained unfinished at the time the team victory was secured, including contests involving Naomi Schraeder and Valentina Rodas.
The team’s performance across both doubles and singles reflected a well-rounded effort from the roster. Junior Ida Johansson, sophomore Hanna Koprowska, senior Valentina Rodas, junior Naomi Schraeder, sophomore Chenyue Xu, and sophomore Soha Singh all contributed to the sweep, underscoring the depth the Vandals have developed heading into the latter stages of the season.
For University of Idaho fans following the full range of campus activity this spring, the University of Idaho Theatre opens a Shakespeare comedy on April 30, offering another opportunity to celebrate Vandal pride beyond the tennis courts. The university has also been active in regional outreach, with University of Idaho experts made available as Idaho’s statewide drought emergency was declared earlier this year.
What Comes Next
With the first-round victory secured, the Idaho Vandals advance to the second round of the Big Sky Conference Tournament, where they are scheduled to face top-seeded Sacramento State. The match is set to begin at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, April 24, in Phoenix. The contest carries added weight for Idaho, which notably defeated the Hornets 4-3 during the regular season — a result that gives the Vandals confidence heading into what promises to be a more competitive matchup. A win over Sacramento State would push Idaho further toward a potential conference title. Fans can follow the latest updates by tracking the Vandals on social media throughout the tournament.