The EWU men’s tennis team traveled to Boise, Idaho to compete in the Boise State Invitational on Oct. 3-5.

Redshirt junior Eduardo Martinez described the team’s experience in Boise as highly competitive.

“A lot of teams have improved,” Martinez said. “It’s going to be a good year for the Big Sky.”

Martinez battled against Idaho State University athlete Daniel Loebel in the flight B tournament bracket and fell to him in three sets.

In the same bracket, junior Eduardo Bringold went up against Zhanbolat Zhakupov of Lewis-Clark State University. Bringold defeated Zhakupov in two sets with a pair of scores, 6-3. He would later fall to the University of Portland’s Pierre Garcia in two sets.

Head coach Steve Clark is always looking for his team to improve by becoming aggressive on the court.

“All of the guys have to work on their ability to get to the net a little more aggressively, pound overhead and just kind of have an attitude about shutting people down,” Clark said. “When you got a guy in trouble, you got to finish him off.”

In the tournament’s flight A bracket, first seed sophomore Robert Dula won in the round of 16 when he beat Weber State University player Todd Fought in two sets, 6-3 and 6-2. Dula made it to the quarterfinals only to lose to University of Montana player Tomasz Soltyka in two sets.

During the consolation quarter finals match of the flight C bracket, sophomore Wacil Bendjelti defeated Jim Fischer of the University of Portland, 3-6 and 1-6.

Both flight D consolation quarterfinal bracket matches consisted of losses for the Eagles.

Senior Stefan Farrar fell to Whitman College Phillip Locklear in three sets. Sophomore Rendell Burghart was defeated by Daniel Moyer from Boise State University in three sets.

Going into this event, Dula and Clark knew what to expect and they believed the team took on every challenge.

“Before any tournament, obviously, everybody wants to win,” Dula said. “Overall, I think I’m satisfied with the tournament personally and I think the guys are satisfied also.”

According to Clark, the Boise State invitational consisted of many players from a few different schools. “The thing I was expecting was to get a good look to see how the guys are doing against these [schools]. I think they’re getting to the point now where they’re learning and understanding how to play a lot better.”

In the flight E bracket freshman Brady Hislop beat Michael Zitterkopf from Lewis-Clark State University in three sets, 5-7, 6-4 and 6-2. Hislop was eliminated in the quarterfinals by University of Montana player Dylan Harvia.

Sophomore Luke Ness defeated Whitman College player Parker Silverman in the round of 16 in two sets, 6-4 and 6-3. Ness then earned another victory by beating Cody Miller from Idaho State in three sets, 1-6, 7-5 and 6-1. Ness was eliminated by University of Portland player Dominique Gilli.

Martinez gave credit to the coaching this season and is encouraged to see his team getting better.

“Everyone has been improving a lot since coach Clark came,” Martinez said. “Fitness-wise we’re pretty good. Tennis-wise, we’re getting better.”

In doubles play, the Eagles had a few strong performances. Dula and Martinez defeated Yonas Woldetsadik and Sonam Phuntsok from Lewis-Clark State University, 8-5. They advanced to the quarterfinals and defeated Weber State University doubles team Stefan Cooper and Sanjay Goswani, 8-7 and 7-5. Dula and Martinez’s win streak ended against Niklas Brandes and Harry James from Montana State University.

With a new head coach, the team is optimistic about the season.

“I personally like [Clark’s] coaching,” Dula said. “I’m pretty sure the whole team also has the same opinion as me.”

Martinez views Clark’s coaching has enhanced the team’s skills as individual tennis players.

“I think it’s a really good change for us,” Martinez said. “We haven’t been with him a long time, but the time [that] we’ve been with him, we feel major improvements in our game, mental strength, conditioning, team unity in every aspect and I think it was a good change for Eastern tennis.”

The Eagles will compete at the ITA Regionals in Palo Alto, California on Oct. 17.