Montana
Montana State
Griz sweep Bobcats to move into championship rematch
4/27/2013 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
April 27, 2013
Rivalry matches mean more than just another mark in the `W' column. When you play that match in the post-season the significance of the match is magnified.
The scene for the third act of the 2013 Montana-Montana State men's tennis rivalry was the semifinals of the Big Sky Conference championship in Sacramento, Calif. and the Griz came out on top with a 4-0 sweep over the Bobcats.
The win propels the Grizzlies to the championship match against Sacramento State in a rematch of last season's championship match.
The Griz followed the same script in doubles that they did in the previous two matches. Mikolaj Caruk and Michael Facey topped Niklas Brandes and Diego Campos 8-2 at No. 1.
At No. 3 Eric Bruan and Semion Branzburg beat Kenny Dodd and James Harry 8-5. The No. 2 match was suspended after the doubles point was clinched.
When the Griz lost their match in Bozeman April 14 they were without No. 1 Caruk. With Caruk back in the lineup the matchups were much better for the Griz. A fact that was made clear when the Griz won three-straight singles matches to clinch the 4-0 win.
Branzburg won a quick 6-0, 6-2 over Prithiv Sivasubramaniam at No. 5 to give the Griz a 2-0 lead.
At No. 2 Andrew Warren struggled in the first set but pulled a win, he then dominated the second set for a 7-6, 6-1 victory.
Zach Drost missed the last week of the season with a sore back but returned for the post-season and is making his presence felt. The junior defeated James Harry 7-5, 6-2 at No. 6 to clinch the win for the Griz.
The rest of the matches were suspended but all three Griz players held a lead in the third set.
"We were looking at a possible 7-0 sweep if we would have finished the match," Griz coach Kris Nord said. "It was probably the most complete match we have played all season. It was a lot of fun."
The Grizzlies will look to continue their consistent play tomorrow but will face a healthy Sac State team that dominated Weber State 4-0 in the other semifinal.
"Sac State is healthy and very playing well right now," Nord said. "They finished off Weber State very quickly; when we were just finishing our first sets they were already done and resting. That may give them another leg up in the heat."
The heat hovered around 90 degrees with the temperature on the court closing on the century mark stifling for a Montana team that has played inside most of their season. The weather is expected to be warmer tomorrow.
The heat and a tough opponent will be a tall mountain to climb for the Grizzlies but the team is playing their best tennis and having fun doing it.
"The final hour of tennis we played was the most fun we've had as a team in a line time," Nord said. "The guys were very enthusiastic and supporting each other on every serve. The team is excited for tomorrow and I am excited to see what we can do."
The match will start at 10 a.m. mtn. at the Rio Del Oro Racquet Club in Sacramento, Calif.
Players Mentioned
