The Big Sky conference released its women’s tennis preseason coaches’ poll today (Jan. 10) as the 2022-23 season prepares to go into high gear. Eastern Washington women’s tennis was picked ninth in the poll, getting 17 points.
Eastern is five points behind Montana State and Idaho, who are both tied for seventh with 22 points apiece.
Northern Arizona was selected to defend its conference championship, getting six first place votes. Weber State, last season’s runner-up, is slated in second with two first place votes, while Sacramento State had one first place vote for third.
In the 2021-22 season, the Eagles finished with a 3-5 record in the Big Sky and 4-12 overall. They just missed the conference tournament, finishing in seventh. They were 4-2 in home matches last season as well.
Head coach Dustin Hinson prepares for his 11th season leading Eastern.
Scout Mathews returns for the Eagles after earning Big Sky All-Conference second team honors last season. Mathews was 6-6 overall in singles and 5-3 in conference matches. In doubles, the junior was 6-6.
Hinson also returns four additional Eagles from last season including Isabella Foshee, Renata Gabuzyan, Jennifer Kida and Kenzington Mann.
Foshee was 6-10 in both singles and doubles play last season, while Gabuzyan was 3-12 and 4-10. Kida had a 3-9 singles record and 5-5 in doubles, with Mann going 8-8 in singles and 4-11 in doubles.
In the offseason, Hinson added Leandra Nizetic from Coesfield, Germany and Sara Vasic from Belgrade, Serbia. Also joining the team is Taylor Andersen, who transfered to Eastern from Grand Canyon.
Eastern had four competitions in its 2022 fall schedule, hosting the EWU Hidden Duals and traveling for the ITA Northwest Regionals. The Eagles competed at the Gonzaga Invitational and SDSU Fall Classic to close out the fall.
At the Northwest Regionals, Foshee and Mann would both won two matches in singles, with Nizetic winning one. Mann would partner with Anderson for a pair of double wins. Foshee and Nizetic would join up for a pair of wins in doubles as well.
The 2023 spring schedule kicks off this week for Eastern, as they host Seattle U on Friday, Jan. 13. The match begins at 4 p.m. Pacific Time from the Jim Thorpe Fieldhouse.
2022 Big Sky Women’s Tennis Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1: Northern Arizona (6) – 62
2: Weber State (2) – 56
3: Sacramento State (1) – 44
4: Idaho State – 41
5: Montana – 32
6: Portland State – 28
T7: Idaho – 22
T7: Montana State – 22
9: Eastern Washington – 17
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