LEWISTON, Idaho– A mix of veteran leadership and a large freshman class has put the Lewis-Clark State Tennis teams in a unique position. The deep rosters will open new opportunities for coach Kai Fong.
“Every year is an exciting year, no matter the personnel,” Fong said. “The goal is to keep improving, to better oneself.”
Fong, returning for his 36th season at LC State, has always tested his teams with schedules filled with ranked opponents and long-distance trips. This year, the coach is able to split his team into two strong units and play against multiple opponents on the same day.
“There is a whole contingent of freshmen, enough to make another team,” Fong said. “This is enabling us to schedule same day matches in different locations.”
Both the men’s and women’s squads are stacked with solid returning players along with many new faces including 12 freshmen, six on each side.
THE MEN
The Warrior men kick off their season on Saturday in Boise with a doubleheader against NCAA Division I opponents Idaho State and Boise State.
Cornelius Sia, Daniel Tevez, Matus Rusnak and Itaru Kikuchi enter their final seasons with LC State and all look to build on strong 2023 campaigns.
“The four men stuck it out and went through the Covid years,” Fong said. “They have experienced the fluidity of their personal development and the environmental challenges. I like to think that they are more equipped to make their post-undergraduate experiences even more meaningful.”
There are 12 different countries represented on the men’s team this season. Among them are six freshmen representing five nations. Rafael Bonnet de Larbogne and Nell Rollin both hail from Noumea, New Caledonia. The duo is joined by Joel Barba (Quito, Ecuador), Paka Markus (Podgorica, Montenegro), Gustavo Santos (Foz do Iguacu, Parana) and Eduardo Silva (Betim, Brazil).
Two local players look to continue to make an impact on the Warriors as well. Austin Swing from Middleton, Idaho, was 9-5 in singles competition last season. Austin Gomez of Lewiston returns after missing last season with an injury. Sophomore Emmett Heiss, also of Lewiston, will get his first taste of LC State competition this year.
The men remain in the NAIA Unaffiliated Group with schools from Louisiana and Texas, so travel is again on the menu.
A trip to New Orleans is planned for Feb. 21-24 and a trip to San Antonio, Texas, is set for March 13-16.
The Warriors will host their first competition on Feb. 3 against DIII Whitman. The following week on Feb. 10 the men will host DIII Whitworth, while also traveling to Whitman on the same day, showing the power of a deep roster. DIII Colorado College will travel to Lewiston on Feb. 15 before CC of Spokane will face the Warriors at the Tennis Center the following day in a non-counting contest.
Montana and Idaho State travel to the valley on consecutive days on March 8-9. The Warriors will host DIII Pacific on March 31. LC State will host Idaho on April 3.
The NAIA Unaffiliated Group Tournament will take place in New Orleans. on April 18-20. The NAIA National Championships are in Mobile, Ala. on May 14-18.
The full schedule can be found on lcwarriors.com.
THE WOMEN
The women had a taste of action back in October when the Warriors played a doubleheader with a 6-1 victory over College of Idaho and 7-2 loss to DIII UC Santa Cruz in Walla Walla.
The ITA West Region Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year Ryan LaPlante returns and, with the help of four seniors, the team is not in short supply of leadership. Andrea Cervantes Bustamante, Anne Mathema, Bonolo Molefe and Heidi Moyo return and Fong said he was proud of the strong contributions each had made to the program.
“They are exemplary role models to represent the Warrior way,” Fong said. “It is always special when they endure the journey rather than just focusing on crossing the line.”
Molefe was honored in the fall as the national ITA Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship award winner.
Juniors Beatriz Lambru and Maria Eduarda Santos da Silva return, along with Lina Boylan, and have already tasted victory this season with the only two points LC State managed to win against UC Santa Cruz in the October trip. Lambru teamed with freshman Marina Chorro in a victory in No. 1 doubles. Santos da Silva earned a three-set victory in No. 5 singles.
Chorro and the other five freshmen on the women’s team represent six different countries: Chorro (Tarragona, Spain), Larissa Couto (Patrocinio, Brazil), Ana Govea (Maldonado, Uruguay), Carisa Liebenberg (Stellenbosch, South Africa), Rayana Shah (Kathmandu, Nepal) and Gwyn Heim (Pullman, Wash.). Junior Paige Noble-Lucas, a Brisbane, Australia, native transferred from East Florida State College. In total, 13 different countries are represented on the women’s team.
For the second season, the Warriors will participate in the Red River Conference with the conference tournament taking place in San Antonio, Texas, on April 25-27.
Along the journey, LC State has a trip to Alexandria, La., for the LSU Alexandria Invitational scheduled for Feb. 22-24.
The season kicks off in full for the women on Feb. 9 with a doubleheader versus Whitman and a meeting with Whitworth the following day, both at the LCSC Tennis Center. Colorado College will visit Lewiston on Feb. 15 before CC of Spokane will take on the Warriors in a non-counting contest on Feb. 16. LC State will host College of Idaho on Feb. 18 before traveling to Louisiana.
Several NCAA DI opponents are on the schedule with a doubleheader with Boise State planned on March 9 and a home date with Montana State on March 16. The Warriors will battle the Vandals of Idaho twice this season, first in Moscow on March 13 before a home contest on April 14.
The NAIA National Championships are in Mobile, Ala. on May 14-18.
Stay up to date with all things Warrior Athletics at lcwarriors.com and on social media @LCWarriors.
