Griz drop season opener to Cougars

Saturday, January 23

Pullman, Wash.

Noon (MT)

Montana

Washington State

1/23/2016 7:25:00 PM | Women's Tennis

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana women's tennis team lost the opening match of its dual season Saturday, falling 7-0 to Washington State at the Simmelink Tennis Courts at Hollingbery Fieldhouse in Pullman, Wash.

The Cougars, who host Eastern Washington Saturday night, improved to 3-0, all coming in sweeps of Big Sky Conference programs. WSU defeated Montana State and Idaho last weekend at Pullman.

Washington State won 6-1 at No. 2 doubles over junior Hannah Sulz and sophomore Cam Kincaid, and wrapped up the doubles point with a 6-2 win over sophomore Catherine Orfanos and freshman Lidia Dukic at No. 3.

Senior Haley Driver and junior Francis Dean were in a 5-5 deadlock at No. 1 singles with the Cougars' top pairing when the doubles point was decided.

Washington State won Nos. 1-5 singles in straight sets. Montana's only set victory came at No. 6, where Orfanos downed Victoria Matejevic 6-4 in the first set before falling 6-3 in the second and 10-7 in a super tiebreaker.

Dean lost 6-3, 6-3 to Maria Birykova at No. 1, Driver lost 6-3, 6-1 at No. 2 to Donika Bashota, the nation's No. 83-ranked player.

"It was our first match of the season, and everybody competed really well," said UM coach Steve Ascher. "Everyone worked hard and was engaged in their matches.

"The key moving forward will be to continue to improve and play some of the bigger points better, and build off what we learned today."

Montana will play Eastern Washington Sunday at 10 a.m. (MT) in Pullman in what will be a nonconference match. The Eagles were 1-1 entering their Saturday-night match at Washington State. The Eagles lost at Washington and won at Seattle two weeks ago.

Washington State 7, Montana 0
Jan. 23, 2016 at Pullman, Wash. (Simmelink Tennis Courts)

SINGLES
No. 1 Maria Birykova (WSU) def. Francis Dean (UM) 6-3, 6-3
No. 2 No. 83 Donika Bashota (WSU) def. Haley Driver (UM) 6-3, 6-1
No. 3 Barbora Michalkova (WSU) def. Hannah Sulz (UM) 6-1, 6-4
No. 4 Trang Huynh (WSU) def. Lidia Dukic (UM) 6-1, 6-1
No. 5 Aneta Miksovska (WSU) def. Cam Kincaid (UM) 6-1, 6-0
No. 6 Victoria Matejevic (WSU) def. Cat Orfanos (UM) 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-7)

DOUBLES
No. 1 Huynh/Biryukova (WSU) vs. Dean/Driver (UM) 5-5 DNF
No. 2 Bashota/Matejevic (WSU) def. Sulz/Kincaid (UM) 6-1
No. 2 Miksovska/Michalkova (WSU) def. Dukic/Orfanos (UM) 6-2

Washington State: 3-0
Montana: 0-1
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (4,2,1,3,5,6)