Griz drop match on Senior Day

Sunday, April 16

Missoula, Mont.

9:00 AM

Montana

Northern Arizona

4/16/2017 2:14:00 PM | Women's Tennis

By: Montana Sports Information

Northern Arizona, which won a battle of unbeaten women's tennis teams with a 4-3 victory at Montana State on Saturday in Bozeman, clinched at least a share of the Big Sky Conference championship with a 7-0 win at Montana on Sunday at the Peak Racquet Club.

The Lumberjacks (16-4, 10-0 BSC), who will be the No. 1 seed at the Big Sky tournament in two weeks in Phoenix, can clinch the outright regular-season title on Saturday with a home win over Weber State.

Sunday's match was the home finale for the Grizzlies (2-18, 1-8 BSC), who conclude their season next weekend with matches at Idaho and Eastern Washington.

Northern Arizona won the doubles point on Sunday by sweeping all three matches, then won all six singles matches, five in straight sets to win its sixth straight match.

Playing without senior Hannah Sulz, who was forced to sit out singles after suffering an injury during her match at No. 1 doubles, everyone else for Montana shifted up one spot in the lineup.

Even with most of the Grizzlies playing outside of their customary spots and facing the Big Sky's top team, the day provided a number of competitive matches, but the Lumberjacks, who have won four of their 10 Big Sky matches by 4-3 scores, won the points they needed.

"You could tell they were very comfortable, very confident, but that's going to come when you're undefeated," said sophomore Nathalie Joanlanne. "Their confidence is way different than ours."

Watching Joanlanne battle NAU's Blanka Szavay at No. 3 singles without access to a scoreboard, it would have felt like a 50-50 matchup. But in the end the Lumberjack pulled out a 6-4, 6-3 win.

"Tennis-wise I don't know that they were a lot better players than us, but tennis is a matter of small margins and big points," said Joanlanne. "We had a lot of tight points that got turned around against us.

"I don't think the scores showed how close some of the matches were. They've been in that position so many times before and have pulled them out that I think they were just more comfortable in those situations."

Sophomore Lidia Dukic, playing at No. 1 in place of Sulz, put together a strong second-set rally before falling 6-1, 6-4. Junior Cam Kincaid had a match point at No. 4 but ultimately lost 5-7, 6-2, 7-5.

Northern Arizona 7, Montana 0
Apr 16, 2017 at Missoula, Mont.
(Peak Racquet Club)

Singles competition
1. Hanneke Lodewijks (NAU) def. Lidia Dukic (UM) 6-1, 6-4
2. Chiara Tomasetti (NAU) def. Catherine Orfanos (UM) 6-2, 6-0
3. Blanka Szavay (NAU) def. Nathalie Joanlanne (UM) 6-4, 6-3
4. Brandy Walker (NAU) def. Cam Kincaid (UM) 5-7, 6-2, 7-5
5. Hailey Rochin (NAU) def. Milica Panic (UM) 6-2, 6-4
6. Eirene Granville (NAU) def. Stanzi Stuijt (UM) 6-3, 6-1

Doubles competition
1. Blanka Szavay/Chiara Tomasetti (NAU) def. Catherine Orfanos/Hannah Sulz (UM) 6-2
2. Hanneke Lodewijks/Brandy Walker (NAU) def. Nathalie Joanlanne/Stanzi Stuijt (UM) 6-2
3. Marta Lewandowska/Hailey Rochin (NAU) def. Ana Carbo/Cam Kincaid (UM) 6-1

Match Notes:
Northern Arizona: 16-4, 10-0 BSC
Montana: 2-18, 1-8 BSC
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (2,1,3,4,5,6)