Friday, October 27
Boise, Idaho
Montana
at
Boise State Invitational
Women’s tennis finishes fall at the Barb Chandler Classic
10/26/2017 4:57:00 PM | Women's Tennis
The Montana women's tennis team is set to wrap up the fall tournament season this weekend at the Barb Chandler Classic in Boise, Idaho, seeking to fit some puzzle pieces together ahead of the Big Sky Conference season in the spring.
The three-day tournament is set for Oct. 27 – 29 on the indoor courts at Boise State's Boas Tennis Center and is the fifth and final event on a difficult fall schedule for head coach Steve Ascher's program.
Five schools are slated to hit the courts in Boise, with fellow Big Sky Conference teams Eastern Washington and Idaho State competing alongside the Griz, and Utah State and Boise State filling out the draws.
The Barb Chandler Classic will feature two singles brackets of 16 players each (Blue and Orange), as well as a doubles draw. Play gets underway at 10 a.m. daily. The host Broncos will provide live updates throughout the tournament as well.
Montana has been led by seniors Cam Kincaid and Catherine Orfanos this fall and paced by the outstanding play of freshman Julia Ronney, who won the first tournament of her collegiate career to start the fall season at Idaho State and picked up a pair of wins at the ITA Mountain Regional in Salt Lake City.
With known quantities like Ronney on the singles court, Ascher will take the opportunity to get a closer look at Montana's doubles pairings in Boise, experimenting with different lineups and combinations to find the right mix come conference play.
"Doubles is crucial, especially when you play a difficult schedule," said Ascher. "If you can pull that point you get momentum heading into singles. It may not change a match completely, but it's going to put some scoreboard pressure on the other team and make them think differently."
The Grizzlies dropped the doubles point, but rebounded to win two matches in Big Sky play last season, once against Southern Utah and once in the season-ending victory at Eastern Washington.
The Griz will return to the courts in the spring with eight players, each vying for one of the six open slots in duals play.
Under Ascher's watchful eye, fall auditions for those six spots in the spring will conclude in Boise, as the 10-year Griz coaching veteran looks to solidify his lineup heading into the winter break. And competition for those six spots couldn't be tighter.
"We have eight players that can compete. What we need to find out who, in those four, five and six roles, is going to step up. Because it's tight," said Ascher.
"We need to see who is asking 'Hey, how do I do little a better job here emotionally? How do I do a little better job here strategically? How am I willing to take some more risks with controlled aggression?' But it's going to be tight. Some good players aren't going to be playing that much."
Following this weekend's tournament in Boise, the Griz will enter a hibernation phase of sorts, turning the focus toward preparing their bodies for the championship season ahead.
"We're excited to get the team stronger, quicker, and more agile in the offseason," Ascher added. "The kids already like the Champions Center, and there is a real buzz about it. That's huge for us."
Montana's championship duals season gets underway in earnest in late January and concludes with the Big Sky Championships in April.
The three-day tournament is set for Oct. 27 – 29 on the indoor courts at Boise State's Boas Tennis Center and is the fifth and final event on a difficult fall schedule for head coach Steve Ascher's program.
Five schools are slated to hit the courts in Boise, with fellow Big Sky Conference teams Eastern Washington and Idaho State competing alongside the Griz, and Utah State and Boise State filling out the draws.
The Barb Chandler Classic will feature two singles brackets of 16 players each (Blue and Orange), as well as a doubles draw. Play gets underway at 10 a.m. daily. The host Broncos will provide live updates throughout the tournament as well.
Montana has been led by seniors Cam Kincaid and Catherine Orfanos this fall and paced by the outstanding play of freshman Julia Ronney, who won the first tournament of her collegiate career to start the fall season at Idaho State and picked up a pair of wins at the ITA Mountain Regional in Salt Lake City.
With known quantities like Ronney on the singles court, Ascher will take the opportunity to get a closer look at Montana's doubles pairings in Boise, experimenting with different lineups and combinations to find the right mix come conference play.
"Doubles is crucial, especially when you play a difficult schedule," said Ascher. "If you can pull that point you get momentum heading into singles. It may not change a match completely, but it's going to put some scoreboard pressure on the other team and make them think differently."
The Grizzlies dropped the doubles point, but rebounded to win two matches in Big Sky play last season, once against Southern Utah and once in the season-ending victory at Eastern Washington.
The Griz will return to the courts in the spring with eight players, each vying for one of the six open slots in duals play.
Under Ascher's watchful eye, fall auditions for those six spots in the spring will conclude in Boise, as the 10-year Griz coaching veteran looks to solidify his lineup heading into the winter break. And competition for those six spots couldn't be tighter.
"We have eight players that can compete. What we need to find out who, in those four, five and six roles, is going to step up. Because it's tight," said Ascher.
"We need to see who is asking 'Hey, how do I do little a better job here emotionally? How do I do a little better job here strategically? How am I willing to take some more risks with controlled aggression?' But it's going to be tight. Some good players aren't going to be playing that much."
Following this weekend's tournament in Boise, the Griz will enter a hibernation phase of sorts, turning the focus toward preparing their bodies for the championship season ahead.
"We're excited to get the team stronger, quicker, and more agile in the offseason," Ascher added. "The kids already like the Champions Center, and there is a real buzz about it. That's huge for us."
Montana's championship duals season gets underway in earnest in late January and concludes with the Big Sky Championships in April.
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