Women netters looking for payback against Bengals
The season is winding down, but it’s never too late for a little payback.
It’s been over two months since Idaho State defeated the Utah State women’s tennis team, 5-2, in Pocatello, Idaho, but Thursday the Aggies will get a chance to return the favor.
“Definitely, probably, some payback there,” said USU’s Jill Smith. “We should have beaten them the first time. They’re coming here. We have home advantage, so that will be good.”
Playing in its last scheduled regular season match, Utah State (7-9) will host the Bengals (10-6) at 1 p.m. at the Sports Academy in North Logan.
At ISU on Feb. 6, Smith and teammate Shelly Ferguson won their singles matches, but Utah State was unable to come up with victories elsewhere. Although closely contested, the Aggies also dropped all three singles matches to fall behind early.
A similar thing happened in USU’s most recent match Saturday against Portland State. The Aggies lost the doubles point, but this time rebounded to sweep singles and take the match, 6-1.
It was the first time this season the Aggies have come back to win a match after losing the doubles point.
“It was good that we showed ourselves we could stop right there and start over with intensity in singles,” said Aggie Caroline Pollock. “It’s rare for a team to do that. We showed maturity.”
But coming back is not something Head Coach Chris Wright wants his team to have to do. He said he is hoping for intensity and assertiveness on the court.
“We just have got to come out with a lot of intensity,” he said. “We just can’t open the door for people, like the other day in doubles. We have to come out from the very beginning, all the way through the singles.”
Idaho State won’t be an easy task for the Aggies, though. The Bengals have won five of their last seven matches and are also coming off a 5-2 victory in their final home match against Portland State.
Leading the Bengals is junior Hayli Scott, who has won a combined 28 matches, playing mainly at No. 1 doubles and No. 3 singles.
But if she plays in those spots against the Aggies, she’ll most likely face some stiff competition. Utah State’s No. 1 duo of Pollock and Lindsey Bennion has been on a roll of late, winning seven of its last eight matches to improve to 8-8.
At No. 3 singles, Bennion has also had success, going 7-9.
In the previous match, Scott defeated Bennion 6-4, 6-3 and in doubles, Eka Jvania and Scott defeated Bennion and Pollock 8-5.
Since the last meeting though, the Aggies have had plenty of time to improve.
“We have a lot of experience now, and we’ve won enough that we feel like we can beat any team, and I think we can,” Pollock said.
Playing at home will also be a big factor in Utah State’s favor. Against Portland State, USU played its first outside match at home, and is hoping to get another chance Thursday.
Wright said unless the weather absolutely prevents it, he is planning on holding the matches outside, even if conditions are less than ideal. Saturday, the Aggies played in gusting winds of up to 25 mph.
“If it weren’t windy, it’s great to get out in the warm sun, but I don’t know, those elements are a bugger,” Pollock said.
Smith said she also enjoys the chance to play outside.
“I like it a lot. Saturday was kind of hairy because of the wind, but before that it was kind of nice,” she said.
If the weather isn’t good enough, the matches will be moved to the inside courts.
But inside or outside, the Aggies are confident in being able to pick up the victory.
“We have had great success here at our home courts, anyway. We’re expecting another win,” Pollock said.
Wright said, “We should be able to just go out and play our game and not play down or have to play up. We should just play our best tennis and execute what we know how to do.”
The Aggies are 6-1 at home while Idaho State is 5-6 on the road.
-slbk5@cc.usu.edu