Seiji Wood

Sports Editor

The Idaho State men’s tennis team looks to make its way back to the Big Sky Conference Tournament this 2019 spring season with a new but smaller team.

Last year the Bengals missed the tournament with a 6-13 overall record and a 3-8 conference record after qualifying in the previous 2017 season.

“I’m excited and nervous about the season,” said head coach Mark Rodel. “Excited in that we have a really strong team from one through six. Exceptionally excited about doubles. I like our combinations … I think we’re capable of competing at the highest levels. I’m nervous because we have six players.”

In tennis, it takes six players to fill out a line-up, and most teams have eight to nine players in case someone in the line-up is unable to play. However, the Bengals only have six players and no reserves.

ISU had plans for two more recruits to join them this spring, but due to transfer and visa issues, the recruits were unable to join the Bengals this year.

The six players for the Bengals are returnees Peter Trhac, David Felix, and Francis Filipovich— all three seniors—and newcomers in junior transfer Gary Rendek and freshmen Lukas Ridemar and Fynn Lohse.

Despite there only being six players on the team, Trhac still feels very confident going into the season.

“I think this year is the best team we’ve had so far,” said Trhac. “Six guys, we just gotta make sure we take care of the details … just stay healthy.”

With a strong team, staying healthy will be the biggest key to Idaho State’s success. Trhac suffered a wrist injury in the fall but claims to be 100 percent since the injury.

“I took a month off but after that it’s been pretty good,” he said.

Something that’ll be in the favor for the Bengals this year will be their schedule.

“Our schedule gives us enough time to recover,” Rodel said. “The most we play is two matches back-to-back. The schedule is definitely doable with six players.”

Rendek feels as though a smaller team can be an advantage to ISU.

“I think it’s about taking care of each other and trusting each other,” he said. “I think we can achieve great things. We only have six players, but I think it helped us get even closer to each other as a team. Our chemistry is good.”

Coming into the season, Idaho State was ranked 9th in the Big Sky Conference preseason poll, but that hasn’t disrupted the Bengals.

“Last year I think we might’ve been higher. Sixth or something like that,” Trhac said. “I think I’d rather be ninth.”

“We can be underdogs,” Rendek said.

Both Trhac and Rendek agreed that it’s motivation for their team to prove others in the conference wrong.

“Most of our guys haven’t played anyone in the Big Sky too much,” Trhac said. “So they don’t really know how we play.”

Rendek agreed. ““They won’t know what to expect,” he said.

Though opponents may not know what’s coming, supporters for the men’s tennis team can expect high competition from the Bengals.

“Everyone can play doubles. We all match up perfectly,” Trhac said. “It’s gonna be super important to get all the doubles points because it’s gonna start us off good going into singles matches.”

There are seven possible team points to win in tennis: one point for doubles, where there are three matches played and the team to win two out of three matches wins the point. Then, there are six points for singles. One win in singles equals one win point. The first team to win four points wins the match.

The Bengals didn’t make the conference tournament last year, and that’s the goal for the team this year. Senior Francis Filipovich is the only Bengal to experience going to the conference tournament. Everyone else has yet to qualify.

“It’s my last season, my senior year, and I haven’t been there yet,” Trhac said. “It’s something I want to experience. As long as I can take care of my part, I know the rest of the guys will do whatever they gotta do.”

The Bengals play a few more non-conference matches until they begin conference play on Feb. 23 here at home against Northern Colorado.

“We don’t feel too pressured to make it to conference,” said Rendek. “We’re more excited and motivated and we believe that we can definitely make it.”