Sunday, April 10
Missoula, Mont.
9:00 AM
Montana
1
vs
6
Northern Colorado *
Bears grind out victory over Grizzlies
4/10/2016 3:47:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Entering Sunday's match, both Montana (3-14, 2-5 BSC) and Northern Colorado (7-10, 3-6 BSC) were seeking a late-season win. Unfortunately in a Battle of the Rockies, the Bears would leave the Peak with a 6-1 victory.
UNC was able to earn itself an early point by winning the doubles competition with scores of 6-0 and 6-2. Doubles have been a weak point for the Grizzlies that coach Steve Ascher hopes to improve upon.
In singles fierce matches were being waged between both teams, with four coming down to a third set.
Montana's sole point came at No. 2, where Ludia Dukic bounced back from an early 0-6 defeat to win the following two sets 6-0, 6-3 against Beth Coton.
Francis Dean, at No. 1, suffered a heartbreaker, falling to Lea Krajcovicova 6-2, 7-5. Catherine Orfanos, at No. 5, and Ana Carbo, at No. 6, lost third-set tiebreakers.
This has not been a kind season for Montana. Making defeats more frustrating has been the trend of how close it comes to winning, only for opposing teams to find ways to slip away with victory.
"Life is so much momentum both ways," Ascher said. "Unfortunately we have had momentum going the opposite way. We need to break that."
When asked how to break a cycle of close defeats, Ascher's pragmatic philosophy shone once more. "There is no easy way out of it. We have to earn ourselves some luck, some set points. We have got to keep digging, searching, trying, and keep making our belief system stronger."
Montana plays next Saturday against Portland State (5-8, 4-5) at 9 a.m. at the Peak Racquet Club. The Vikings lost Sunday at Eastern Washington 5-2.
Northern Colorado 6, Montana 1
Apr 10, 2016 at Missoula, Mont. (Peak Racquet Club)
Singles competition
1. KRAJCOVICOVA, Lea (UNC) def. DEAN, Francis (UM) 6-2, 7-5
2. DUKIC, Lidia (UM) def. COTON, Beth (UNC) 0-6, 6-0, 6-3
3. WALTERS-WEST, Hilary (UNC) def. SULZ, Hannah (UM) 6-1, 6-2
4. BACA, Marissa (UNC) def. KINCAID, Cam (UM) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
5. BATTERSBY, Anna (UNC) def. ORFANOS, Catherine (UM) 5-7, 6-1, 1-0 (10-8)
6. KREUTZER, Lily-Ana (UNC) def. CARBO, Anabel (UM) 7-6 (7-1), 3-6, 1-0 (10-8)
Doubles competition
1. COTON, Beth/IMMLER, Remi (UNC) def. DEAN, Francis/ORFANOS, Catherine (UM) 6-2
2. DUKIC, Lidia/KINCAID, Cam (UM) def. SCHULTE, Courtney/WALTERS-WEST, Hilary (UNC) 6-4
3. BACA, Marissa/BATTERSBY, Anna (UNC) def. CARBO, Anabel/SULZ, Hannah (UM) 6-0
Match Notes
Northern Colorado 7-10, 3-6 BSC
Montana 3-14, 2-5 BSC
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (3,2,1,4,5,6)
UNC was able to earn itself an early point by winning the doubles competition with scores of 6-0 and 6-2. Doubles have been a weak point for the Grizzlies that coach Steve Ascher hopes to improve upon.
In singles fierce matches were being waged between both teams, with four coming down to a third set.
Montana's sole point came at No. 2, where Ludia Dukic bounced back from an early 0-6 defeat to win the following two sets 6-0, 6-3 against Beth Coton.
Francis Dean, at No. 1, suffered a heartbreaker, falling to Lea Krajcovicova 6-2, 7-5. Catherine Orfanos, at No. 5, and Ana Carbo, at No. 6, lost third-set tiebreakers.
This has not been a kind season for Montana. Making defeats more frustrating has been the trend of how close it comes to winning, only for opposing teams to find ways to slip away with victory.
"Life is so much momentum both ways," Ascher said. "Unfortunately we have had momentum going the opposite way. We need to break that."
When asked how to break a cycle of close defeats, Ascher's pragmatic philosophy shone once more. "There is no easy way out of it. We have to earn ourselves some luck, some set points. We have got to keep digging, searching, trying, and keep making our belief system stronger."
Montana plays next Saturday against Portland State (5-8, 4-5) at 9 a.m. at the Peak Racquet Club. The Vikings lost Sunday at Eastern Washington 5-2.
Northern Colorado 6, Montana 1
Apr 10, 2016 at Missoula, Mont. (Peak Racquet Club)
Singles competition
1. KRAJCOVICOVA, Lea (UNC) def. DEAN, Francis (UM) 6-2, 7-5
2. DUKIC, Lidia (UM) def. COTON, Beth (UNC) 0-6, 6-0, 6-3
3. WALTERS-WEST, Hilary (UNC) def. SULZ, Hannah (UM) 6-1, 6-2
4. BACA, Marissa (UNC) def. KINCAID, Cam (UM) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
5. BATTERSBY, Anna (UNC) def. ORFANOS, Catherine (UM) 5-7, 6-1, 1-0 (10-8)
6. KREUTZER, Lily-Ana (UNC) def. CARBO, Anabel (UM) 7-6 (7-1), 3-6, 1-0 (10-8)
Doubles competition
1. COTON, Beth/IMMLER, Remi (UNC) def. DEAN, Francis/ORFANOS, Catherine (UM) 6-2
2. DUKIC, Lidia/KINCAID, Cam (UM) def. SCHULTE, Courtney/WALTERS-WEST, Hilary (UNC) 6-4
3. BACA, Marissa/BATTERSBY, Anna (UNC) def. CARBO, Anabel/SULZ, Hannah (UM) 6-0
Match Notes
Northern Colorado 7-10, 3-6 BSC
Montana 3-14, 2-5 BSC
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (3,2,1,4,5,6)
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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