Montana
Northern Arizona
Montana defeats Northern Arizona on senior day
4/19/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
On a day honoring the three seniors on the Montana women's tennis team, it was the trio of veterans who pushed Montana to a huge 5-2 victory against Northern Arizona on Sunday.
PEAK Health & Wellness Center had a buzz about it when the matches began as Sasha Carter, Precious Gbadamosi and Laurence Pelchat were all honored for the service to Grizzly tennis.
On a day like senior day it is easy for emotions to get the best of you, especially when the team you play shares an identical 8-2 conference record. Senior Sasha Carter admitted that she and her fellow seniors were nervous coming into the match.
"We were all extremely nervous, I know for the seniors," Carter said. "We couldn't even eat today we were so nervous, but it's our last day so we were going to try our hardest and whatever happens happens, but we were going to try our hardest and go out swinging."
And they did come out swinging, winning No. 2 and 3 doubles and leading at No. 1 when the doubles point was clinched.
Then it was time for the seniors to go to work. In their final matches at home, the trio all earned straight-set victories to put Montana ahead 4-0 and clinch the match.
Sasha Carter completed her perfect conference season in the most dominating way possible, a 6-0, 6-0 victory. Carter finished the regular season 26-9, with a conference record of 11-0. She enters the Big Sky tournament on a nine-match win streak.
"I'm proud of myself, but I was just there to try to take it day-by-day and just trying to be very competitive every day and that ended up being in my favor," Carter said. "In the end it turned out pretty good."
Laurence Pelchat was the next Grizzly off the floor, starting fast and holding on for a 6-1, 6-3 win at No. 3 singles. Pelchat will also head in to the conference tournament hot, winning her final four matches. She finished the conference schedule with a 7-4 record.
Precious Gbadamosi, the third and final senior, provided the clincher for the Griz with a tough 7-5, 6-2 win against Johanna Vang at No. 1. Gbadamosi, who missed a match this season because of an ankle sprain, finished the conference schedule with a 6-4 mark at No. 1.
Coach Steve Ascher was proud of how his girls channeled their emotion into positive energy on the court.
"Senior day is very hard, because there are so many different emotions you're coming into as a player," Ascher said. "A lot of times it's hard to sleep that night, you're waking up, your stomach is queasy, so I think to come out and put up that dominant of a performance just says a lot about them. I think it's really special that they get to walk off the court as teammates and winners like that."
Carter also thought that the added emotion of senior day helped get the Griz ready to go.
"I think our energy, we were just so pumped up. It was senior day and we were just going to bring it. We brought that energy and just swept them, we didn't even give them a chance to compete."
Hannah Sulz gave the Griz their final point shortly after with a 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 4 singles. Northern Arizona picked up a pair of wins at No. 5 and 6.
The win gave Montana the No. 3 seed in the Big Sky as they prepare for the conference tournament next week. They will take on Portland State at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 24. The winner of that match takes on No. 2 Idaho on Saturday.
The win improved Montana's home record to a perfect 4-0 on the year. Perhaps the most telling stat of all regarding this year's seniors is their dominance when playing in Missoula.
"It's special," Ascher said. "We were trying to figure out when the last time we lost a home match in the Big Sky conference, and I think we'd have to go back to their freshmen year against Sacramento State. That says a little bit about what's going on."
Montana 5, Northern Arizona 2
PEAK Health & Wellness Center: Missoula, Montana
April 19, 2015
Singles
1. Precious Gbadamosi (UM) Johanna Vang (NAU) 7-5, 6-2
2. Sasha Carter (UM) def. Hailey Rochin (NAU) 6-0, 6-0
3. Laurence Pelchat (UM) Emelia Box (NAU) 6-1, 6-3
4. Hannah Sulz (UM) Jordan Denesik (NAU) 6-2, 6-2
5. Marta Lewandowksa (NAU) def. Cam Kincaid (UM) 6-3, 1-6, 1-0 (10-5)
6. Sara Brown (NAU) def. Catherine Orfanos (UM) 6-4, 6-2
Doubles
1. Gbadamosi/Pelchat (UM) led Vang/Lewandowska (NAU) 6-5 unf.
2. Carter/Orfanos (UM) def. Box/Rochin (NAU) 6-3
3. Sulz/Kincaid (UM) def. Spruch/Hollosy (NAU) 6-3
Order of Finish
Singles (2,3,1,4,5,6)
Doubles (2,3)
Players Mentioned
