Men's tennis team hosts two matches
4/11/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
April 11, 2014
The Montana Grizzlies men's tennis team looks to notch two more Big Sky wins this weekend and lock a first-round conference tournament bye.
The Griz (7-10, 5-1 BSC) host Northern Colorado at 2 p.m. on Saturday, and then North Dakota on Sunday at 11 a.m. at the Peak Racquet Club in Missoula.
Last Saturday UM lost to first-place Weber State 5-2, but defeated Idaho State by a mirrored score the following day. Head coach Kris Nord said a big challenge the past few days has been recuperating from the 12-day spring break road trip.
"It was a long road trip and the guys are tired from being on the road that long," he said. "But this is a great way to finish the season playing these five matches at home. We get to sleep in our own beds and play on our own courts. Now we need to take advantage of it and play well."
Northern Colorado (7-5, 5-3 BSC) is currently in third place, but has lost its last two conference matches. The Bears lost 1-6 to Northern Arizona and 3-4 to Sacramento State most recently.
At No. 1 singles, Ben Gendron has a 5-2 conference mark, tied with Austin Mayo's five victories for most on the roster. Gendron and Mayo make quite a doubles duo together, as they're 9-2 overall at No. 1 doubles. The Bears are also 9-2 at the No. 3 doubles slot, so expect a very competitive doubles point Saturday afternoon.
For the Grizzlies, six netters have at least four conference wins in 2014. Sophomore Tomasz Soltyka has settled into the No. 3 spot nicely, boasting a 9-2 overall mark in that slot. Semion Branzburg is 5-1 in conference, and 9-2 overall at No. 4 singles.
"I feel like we're moving in the right direction, which is good," Nord said. "In singles, I'm happy with where our guys are.
"The real key in April is to stay healthy, and we're as healthy as we've ever been this late in the season, so now we just have to get excited for each of these matches, and go out there and play well."
North Dakota (3-13, 2-6 BSC) has lost 10 of its last 11 matches. Grant Bakke has the most wins with a 5-4 record at No. 5 singles. It's a team that has struggled at No. 1 singles, with three players having a combined 1-15 mark.
"They beat Idaho State 5-2 early on, and that was a great win for them," Nord said. "The fact that North Dakota beat ISU ought to get our guys' attention. We've got two good matches to play this weekend."
