FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Anjola Ige, a freshman at Portland State, celebrated her first Big Sky Conference win on Sunday against Northern Arizona. Although her team lost 6-1, Ige’s victory stood out as the highlight of the match at the NAU Tennis Center.
The Vikings now have a record of 5-5 overall and 1-2 in conference play. They struggled early by losing the doubles point with Northern Arizona claiming easy wins at the top two courts. Ige and her partner, Scarlett Perkins, were in a tight match when the decision came, trailing 3-2 at court three.
In singles play, NAU secured quick wins on courts one, three, and four to clinch the match. Marta Giglio, aiming for her ninth straight victory, won the first set at No. 2, but Andrea Noguera came back with a 6-3 win in the second set and won the super tiebreak, snapping Giglio’s streak at 10-8.
Hana Abdelhamid fought through her match at No. 5, winning the second set after dropping the first 6-2, but ultimately lost in the super tiebreak, 10-5.
Ige’s strong performance included a decisive 6-2, 6-1 victory over Mia Wolter at No. 6.
The Vikings look to bounce back next Sunday, March 29, when they host Idaho at 10 a.m. at the Tualatin Hills Tennis Center.
Recent performances from college tennis show the increasing competitiveness of young players. A survey from the NCAA reported a sharp rise in participation rates for women’s tennis, pointing to a growing interest and talent pool in the sport. Experts agree that increasing support for women’s athletics contributes significantly to these trends.
For more details on collegiate sports statistics, check out the NCAA’s official site.
