Montana
Northern Arizona
Griz alone in second after 6-1 win over Lumberjacks
4/7/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
April 7, 2013
On paper Montana and Northern Arizona were the 1B to Sacramento State's 1A in the Big Sky Conference women's tennis hierarchy. After Sunday, that list may need to be reevaluated.
Behind a dominating performance in singles, with the Grizzlies producing straight-set victories from top to bottom, Montana posted a surprisingly lopsided 6-1 victory over Northern Arizona Sunday morning at the Peak Racquet Club in Missoula to take over sole possession of second place behind the Hornets.
The match started out looking like a one-sided match, but in favor of NAU.
Northern Arizona extended its doubles winning streak to 26 over the last nine matches to go up 1-0, but once singles began, the Lumberjacks lost a number of things much more valuable: their cool, their eight-match winning streak and their tie for second place with Montana.
NAU, which hasn't dropped a single doubles match in nearly a month, was flying high and voicing its excitement after extending its doubles streak with 8-1, 8-6 and 8-4 victories, but that emotion quickly turned negative in singles play.
With their lead quickly slipping away, the Lumberjacks had a number of penalties for "equipment abuse" -- i.e. throwing a racquet to the court in disgust -- and routinely abused the blue curtain surrounding the courts at the Peak Racquet Club.
For a team that looked like it wasn't ready to compete in doubles, Montana's poise and focus won the day in singles.
"We know our singles is really good, and we know how to perform," said Heather Davidson, who beat Hannah Stone 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1 to give Montana a 2-1 lead.
"We just had to block (what happened in doubles) out and play like we normally do. I knew it wasn't going to be a problem."
In what felt like just minutes after the doubles point had been decided, Montana had quick opening-set victories at Nos. 1-4, and the Grizzlies were on their way.
Laurence Pelchat first defeated Ghizelene Doballah at No. 2, 6-4, 6-0, to even the score at 1-1. Davidson finished off Stone minutes later, and Haley Driver and Sasha Carter won at Nos. 3 and 4 to dramatically change the match's direction and clinch the victory.
"They were definitely showing their frustration," Davidson added. "There were a lot of point penalties on their end. Once that starts to happen, you try to capitalize on it."
Ashley Mackey won at No. 6 to make it 5-1, and Precious Gbadamosi added a 7-5, 6-4 win at No. 5, her 13th consecutive singles victory, to complete the comeback.
Montana's 0-3 result in the doubles matches was only its second three-match sweep this season and its first since losing to Marquette during the season's opening weekend back in mid-January.
"It's just a matter of belief," UM coach Steve Ascher said. "A lot of times as a player you're waiting for something to happen. You know something may happen, but you're not prepared to go seize it.
"We needed to have that belief and understanding that we can go out and earn this, and I think that belief showed up in singles."
Sunday's win gives Montana the inside track to finish second behind Sac State and earn the No. 2 seed and a bye to the semifinals at the six-team Big Sky Conference tournament, which will be held in Sacramento April 26-28.
Likely to be waiting for a rematch should be Northern Arizona, assuming the Lumberjacks hold on to third place and win their tournament quarterfinal match. If the teams meet again, it would be the fifth-straight year the Grizzlies and Lumberjacks will have played in the tournament.
Which leads to the question: Would a team prefer to enter that potential match with a recent 6-1 win over its opponent, or would it rather have a chip on its shoulder?
"One of the beautiful things in life is your perceptual lens," Ascher said. "When you lose, you can talk about having a burr under your saddle and something to prove.
"On the flip side of that, once you learn how to win, winning becomes a way and it feeds itself. That's the belief system that we're trying to create and nurture here."
Montana has just two regular-season matches remaining before the Big Sky tournament. The Grizzlies will host Southern Utah (9-5, 4-2 BSC) on Tuesday, April 16, and Idaho State (4-11, 1-5 BSC) on Saturday, April 20.
Montana 6, Northern Arizona 1
April 7, 2013 at Missoula, Mont. (Peak Racquet Club)
Singles Results
1. Heather Davidson (UM) def. Hannah Stone (NAU), 6-2, 6-2
2. Laurence Pelchat (UM) def. Ghizelene Doballah (NAU), 6-4, 6-0
3. Haley Driver (UM) def. Johanna Vang (NAU), 6-3, 6-4
4. Sasha Carter (UM) def. Malia Wahinepio (NAU), 7-5, 6-4
5. Precious Gbadamosi (UM) def. Alice Pacaut (NAU), 7-5, 6-4
6. Ashley Mackey (UM) def. Nicole Perez (NAU), 6-3, 6-2
Doubles Results
1. Hannah Stone/Johanna Vang (NAU) def. Heather Davidson/Laurence Pelchat (UM), 8-1
2. Ghizelene Doballah/Nicole Perez (NAU) def. Sasha Carter/Maddy Murray (UM), 8-6
3. Alice Pacaut/Malia Wahinepio (NAU) def. Haley Driver/Precious Gbadamosi (UM), 8-4
Match Notes:
Northern Arizona: 14-9, 6-2 BSC
Montana: 12-7, 7-1 BSC
Order of Finish:
Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (2,1,3,4,6,5)
Players Mentioned
