’Cats clinch first win

The Weber State University Women’s Tennis Team gets their first win of 2010 as they beat rival Idaho State 4-3, Wednesday afternoon at Reed Gym. The rivalry matchup lasted over six and a half hours with many ups and downs for both teams. Idaho State swept all three doubles matches but came up short on four competitive three-set singles matches, as they watched WSU claim their first win.
“I’ve played Sophie before so I knew what I had to do,” said senior Greyce Farias. “I improved a lot since the last time I played her in singles play.”
Farias shifted the momentum of the heated match when she defeated Sophie Dang in straight-sets 6-3, 6-4 in the No. 2 singles match.
 “This is a going to be a Wildcat year,” said WSU’s Women’s Tennis Coach Jonas Erhlin.  “Idaho State is a team we usually beat every year and they played against us very well. We played very poorly in doubles as we came out flat in match play. They were playing a different type of defensive in doubles and we didn’t adjust to it.”
WSU’s No. 1 singles player, Keya Jenkins got the Wildcats within a point at 3-2 following her 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 win over Lisel Lewis. Caroline Drugge then evened the score with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Risa Fujiwara at No. 5, putting the match in the hands of freshman Kassia Adamson at No. 6.
The pressure was on Adamson, competing in her second Division I singles match of her career, Adamson was down 5-2 before fighting back to take the first set 7-5. Adamson lost the next match but took the final match 6-4, winning the match and giving WSU the edge in the meet 4-3.
“Everyone got fired up after a few difficult doubles matchups, and we finished strong in singles play,” Erhlin said.
The women of the team have strong unity and leadership, which will help them win more games to come. Farias and other senior leaders of the team are teaching the younger players, including themselves, to finish strong and to be patient.
Up next for the Wildcats is Utah State next week as they square off in Logan, Wednesday, Feb. 10. WSU improves to 1-4, as Idaho State drops to 0-2.