Idaho freshman Marianna Petrei arrived on campus on Jan. 5, 10 days before the start of the spring tennis season. The soft-spoken Italian was in a new country, with a new language and a team that had a full fall season to bond and prepare. What happened next turned into one of the best seasons in Idaho women’s tennis history.
Petrei, a native of Udine, Italy, came to the Vandals as the last addition to head coach Mariana Cobra’s 2016 lineup. Idaho, looking to repeat as Big Sky champions, needed to fill a hole at the top of its lineup.