Griz end road trip with loss at Gonzaga

Saturday, January 31

Spokane, Wash.

11:00 AM

Montana

Gonzaga

1/31/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis

Jan. 31, 2015

On the second day of a back-to-back the Montana Grizzlies women's tennis team lost to Gonzaga 7-0 in Spokane.

The match was much closer than the final score indicated, as the Grizzlies (0-2) had four singles matches pushed to three sets, but clutch play from Gonzaga (3-0) helped the hosts on to victory.

It was the doubles in the morning that got the Griz off on the wrong foot, according to coach Steve Ascher.

"I think it just started early in the day," he said. "We had won No. 2 doubles and we were up 5-2 in No. 3 doubles and just got tentative there and ended up losing the doubles point."

Freshman Cam Kincaid and sophomore Hannah Sulz played No. 3 doubles for Montana, and after an impressive start couldn't find enough shots in crunch time to pull out the win.

"When we got into the big points, Gonzaga played better and were more aggressive," Ascher said. "They put themselves into a better position than us to win the match."

Sasha Carter and Catherine Orfanos claimed the Grizzlies only victory of the day, a 6-4 win at No. 2 doubles.

In singles, Precious Gbadamosi was coming off a big victory against Washington State the day prior. She started off well against Katie Edwards, taking the opening set 6-4, but Edwards gathered confidence and started hitting well in the next two sets.

"I think in Precious' match she played a big hitter, a girl who really strikes the ball clean and hit's the ball well," Ascher said. "Precious did a great job in that first set, but then Edwards got some confidence going and kept hitting and hitting."

That match sealed the victory for Gonzaga, giving them a 4-0 lead. The final match to finish was at No. 2 singles, where Sasha Carter battled to the very end against Samantha Polayes, eventually dropping the match 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (7-0).

"Sasha played a good match," Ascher said. "She lost to Polayes in straight sets in the fall, but she put herself in position to pull out a three-set win. She did a great job competing."

This is the Grizzlies second match of the season, which they began practice for just this week.

"It's only our fifth day together," Ascher said, "so I take a lot of responsibility for these losses because it's too early to be playing, but it's the reality with our budget."

The venue also forced the Grizzlies to make an adjustment with the timing of their shots because of the change in courts.

"Coming from Washington State where the courts are ultra-fast going to Gonzaga where they are brand new and sticky, a little bit slow, it's an adjustment," Ascher said. "It can't be an excuse, but it is a challenge and it takes a little bit of time to get your rhythm."

Ascher went on to give credit to Gonzaga, an up-and-coming team who broke a long streak of losses against Montana.

"They're a team we've beaten for the last four or five years," he said. "They've been hungry to beat us and it was in their home, so hats off to them."

Gonzaga 7, Montana 0

Jan 31, 2015 at Spokane, Wash. (The Stevens Center)

Singles

1. EDWARDS, Katie (GON) def. Gbadamosi, Precious (UM) 4-6, 6-2, 6-0

2. POLAYES, Samantha (GON) def. Carter, Sasha (UM) 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (7-0)

3. PEEK, Kylie (GON) def. Pelchat, Laurence (UM) 3-6, 6-2, 6-1

4. BOURGUIGNON, Alex (GON) def. Sulz, Hannah (UM) 6-3, 6-1

5. YATES, Melanie (GON) def. Kincaid, Cam (UM) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3

6. KOEHLER, Franziska (GON) def. CARBO ESTRUCH, A. (UM) 6-1, 6-3

Doubles

1. EDWARDS, Katie/POLAYES, Samantha (GON) def. GBADAMOSI, Precious/PELCHAT, Laurence (UM) 6-3

2. ORFANOS, Catherine/CARTER, Sasha (UM) def. YATES, Melanie/BOURGUIGNON, Alex (GON) 6-4