Griz end season on a high note
4/23/2017 9:38:00 PM | Women's Tennis
The Montana women's tennis team ended a season riddled with injuries and hindered by three 4-3 losses to Big Sky Conference opponents with an uplifting 5-2 road win at Eastern Washington on Sunday.
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Facing a team that finished one spot out of the Big Sky tournament and played third-place Montana State to a 4-3 match on Saturday, the Grizzlies (3-19, 2-9 BSC) dominated singles on their way to snapping an eight-match losing streak.
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"Everyone put together the ideas they have been learning this spring. It was a nice way to wrap up the year," said coach Steve Ascher.
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Eastern Washington (5-15, 3-8 BSC) raced out to an early 1-0 lead with a pair of 6-3 wins in doubles, which wasn't a surprise. Montana won the doubles point just three times in 21 matches this spring against Division I competition.
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What was a surprise was how the Grizzlies responded in singles.
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Hannah Sulz, playing her final collegiate match, lost a three-tiebreaker thriller at No. 1, going to extra points in the first two sets and a super tiebreaker in the third to fall to Janaya Smith, 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (6-8), 0-1 (8-10).
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The rest of the Grizzlies picked up straight-set wins.
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Nathalie Joanlanne improved to a team-best 6-5 in league with a 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 4, while Lidia Dukic, at 5-5, moved to .500 in Big Sky matches with a 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 win at No. 2 and Cam Kincaid, 4-4, evened her league mark with a 6-3, 6-4 win at No. 5.
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Stanzi Stuijt wrapped up her Montana career with a win at No. 6, taking the first set 6-3 and building a 3-1 lead in the second before Carolina Lopez retired.
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The Big Sky tournament will open on Thursday in Phoenix, with Northern Arizona and Idaho taking the top two seeds into Friday's semifinals.
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Montana State, Idaho State, Northern Colorado and North Dakota round out the tournament field.
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Montana 5, Eastern Washington 2
Apr 23, 2017 at Cheney, Wash.
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Singles competition
1. Janaya Smith (EWU) def. Hannah Sulz (UM) 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (8-6), 1-0 (10-8)
2. Lidia Dukic (UM) def. Faye Worrall (EWU) 7-6 (7-3), 6-2
3. Catherine Orfanos (UM) def. Erin Blessing (EWU) 6-4, 6-3
4. Nathalie Joanlanne (UM) def. Rachel Swindell (EWU) 6-4, 6-1
5. Cam Kincaid (UM) def. Valentina Sottile (EWU) 6-3, 6-4
6. Stanzi Stuijt (UM) def. Carolina Lopez (EWU) 6-3, 3-1, retired
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Doubles competition
1. Janaya Smith/Faye Worrall (EWU) def. Catherine Orfanos/Hannah Sulz (UM) 6-3
2. Erin Blessing/Rachel Swindell (EWU) def. Nathalie Joanlanne/Cam Kincaid (UM) 6-3
3. Katrina Domingo/Marta Heinen (EWU) def. Lidia Dukic/Milica Panic (UM) 4-3, unfinished
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Match notes:
Montana: 3-19, 2-9 BSC
Eastern Washington: 5-15, 3-8 BSC
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Facing a team that finished one spot out of the Big Sky tournament and played third-place Montana State to a 4-3 match on Saturday, the Grizzlies (3-19, 2-9 BSC) dominated singles on their way to snapping an eight-match losing streak.
Â
"Everyone put together the ideas they have been learning this spring. It was a nice way to wrap up the year," said coach Steve Ascher.
Â
Eastern Washington (5-15, 3-8 BSC) raced out to an early 1-0 lead with a pair of 6-3 wins in doubles, which wasn't a surprise. Montana won the doubles point just three times in 21 matches this spring against Division I competition.
Â
What was a surprise was how the Grizzlies responded in singles.
Â
Hannah Sulz, playing her final collegiate match, lost a three-tiebreaker thriller at No. 1, going to extra points in the first two sets and a super tiebreaker in the third to fall to Janaya Smith, 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (6-8), 0-1 (8-10).
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The rest of the Grizzlies picked up straight-set wins.
Â
Nathalie Joanlanne improved to a team-best 6-5 in league with a 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 4, while Lidia Dukic, at 5-5, moved to .500 in Big Sky matches with a 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 win at No. 2 and Cam Kincaid, 4-4, evened her league mark with a 6-3, 6-4 win at No. 5.
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Stanzi Stuijt wrapped up her Montana career with a win at No. 6, taking the first set 6-3 and building a 3-1 lead in the second before Carolina Lopez retired.
Â
The Big Sky tournament will open on Thursday in Phoenix, with Northern Arizona and Idaho taking the top two seeds into Friday's semifinals.
Â
Montana State, Idaho State, Northern Colorado and North Dakota round out the tournament field.
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Montana 5, Eastern Washington 2
Apr 23, 2017 at Cheney, Wash.
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Singles competition
1. Janaya Smith (EWU) def. Hannah Sulz (UM) 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (8-6), 1-0 (10-8)
2. Lidia Dukic (UM) def. Faye Worrall (EWU) 7-6 (7-3), 6-2
3. Catherine Orfanos (UM) def. Erin Blessing (EWU) 6-4, 6-3
4. Nathalie Joanlanne (UM) def. Rachel Swindell (EWU) 6-4, 6-1
5. Cam Kincaid (UM) def. Valentina Sottile (EWU) 6-3, 6-4
6. Stanzi Stuijt (UM) def. Carolina Lopez (EWU) 6-3, 3-1, retired
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Doubles competition
1. Janaya Smith/Faye Worrall (EWU) def. Catherine Orfanos/Hannah Sulz (UM) 6-3
2. Erin Blessing/Rachel Swindell (EWU) def. Nathalie Joanlanne/Cam Kincaid (UM) 6-3
3. Katrina Domingo/Marta Heinen (EWU) def. Lidia Dukic/Milica Panic (UM) 4-3, unfinished
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Match notes:
Montana: 3-19, 2-9 BSC
Eastern Washington: 5-15, 3-8 BSC
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