Conference play on horizon as Griz head West

The Montana women's tennis team emerges from the tunnel that is the most difficult nonconference schedule in program history this week, with the light of Big Sky Conference play at the end as the Grizzlies head to Oregon for four matches.

Montana will open its league slate on Sunday, Feb. 17, at Portland State. But before that, the Griz have three more shots at an upset, with a doubleheader against San Diego and Oregon in Eugene on Friday, Feb. 15, followed by a nonconference tilt with the University of Portland on Saturday.

The Grizzlies enter the weekend at 0-7 on the season, having picked up the team's first individual wins two weeks ago when Julia Ronney and Lidia Dukic pulled off straight-set victories against the Colorado Buffaloes in Minneapolis.

But with a schedule that has included a pair of losses to Washington State (who this week placed three players in the national rankings), an encouraging loss to Michigan State, and another tough outing at Minnesota, where they also faced the Buffs.

A gauntlet of a schedule to be sure. The point, however, was to prepare the team to make a return to the Big Sky championship tourney as a top-six finisher, a place the Griz haven't been since 2015.

With still three more matches to play before league action, it appears to be working, while at the same time allowing the Griz to enjoy the process of becoming better.

"We've been playing really challenging opponents, and I think that's prepared us for the conference. I feel like we've got our routine down and have built some toughness," said sophomore Bianca Bostrom.

"It's been really fun. I feel like that's when you improve the most when you play tougher opponents. It's a challenge. I get motivated when I play them."

While the players have enjoyed the challenge, head coach Steve Ascher also thinks the Griz are on the uptick as conference season nears, while at the same time knowing the team still has more growth to come.

"We've been pressed every day. You have to be on your A game, concentration wise, and have to be improving if you want to compete, so I feel like it's going really well. The attitude is fantastic and the drive to do more is there," said Ascher.

"I think we're prepared for conference play. I think we're going to be match-ready, and that's all you can ask for."

THE LINEUP: Montana opens its weekend Friday, Feb. 15, against San Diego at 11 a.m. (MT) at Oregon's Student Tennis Center. The Griz will then face the Ducks later that afternoon at 4 p.m. (MT).

UM will then travel north on I-5 to Rip City to face the Pilots on Feb. 16 at 10 a.m. (MT). Conference play then begins for the Griz against Portland State on Sunday, Feb. 17 at 10 a.m. (MT), across the river from Portland at the Vancouver Tennis Center in Vancouver, Wash.

COVERAGE: Fans can tune in to watch Montana's matches against Oregon and the University of Portland, with links to live streaming and live scoring available at GoGriz.com. Portland State will also provide live scoring, with a link available at GoGriz.com as well. No streaming or live scoring available for the San Diego match.

GRIZ TRACKS: • Ascher has kept a consistent lineup on the court in UM's five matches this season, with Julia Ronney playing on one in four of the five, the court she held firm on as a freshman.

Freshman Lauren Dunlap has remained a constant at No. 2 for the Griz, while Bostrom, UM's other dynamic sophomore, has been a mainstay at three.

UM's two seniors, Nathalie Joanlanne and Dukic, have been holding down courts four and five, while freshmen Alex Walker and Claudia Reguant have mixed in at six.

This week's trip to Oregon is a homecoming of sorts for Ascher, who grew up in the Portland area, graduated from the University of Portland, and had coaching stints with both the Pilots and Vikings.

Ronney's win over Colorado bumped the All-Big Sky sophomore's career tally to eight dual wins as UM's overall winningest player last year, who posted a total of 17 singles wins.

Dukic's win over CU was just her third dual win in the past two seasons, picking up just two last year due to a nagging wrist injury. Now healed, the senior's win over her Buffaloe opponent bodes well for her returning to the form that saw her pick up 11 Big Sky wins her freshman and sophomore seasons.

SCOUTING SAN DIEGO: The Toreros sit at 1-1 this year, but already boast one of the nation's top players in Solymar Colling who was ranked by the ITA at No. 62 this week, and defeated Stanford All-American and defending Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Michaela Gordon.

Though still early, San Diego was picked to finish fourth in the West Coast Conference's preseason poll.

With only three conference matches played so far around the league, Montana sits at No. 10 on the Big Sky standings, with Montana State lagging behind at No. 11 with two Big Sky losses.

SCOUTING OREGON: The Ducks are off to a 4-3 start this season, counting wins over Loyola Marymount, Saint Mary's, Fresno State and Illinois-Chicago.

Oregon boasts the highest ranked player Montana will face this season. At No. 55 in this week's ITA rankings, Schweta Sangwan on one of a pair of nationally ranked Ducks. Daniela Nasser was also ranked this week, tied at No. 72,

SCOUTING PORTLAND: One of the traditionally strong programs in the WCC, the Pilots (2-2) were picked eighth in the preseason poll this year. They've taken losses to Washington (0-7) and Eastern Washington (3-4), but beat Seattle (6-1) and Chaminade in Hawaii.

Portland returns all seven primary lineup players from last year's team including junior Jelena Lukic, who finished last year 5-1 in WCC play at the No. 1 position and earned honorable mention all-league honors.

SCOUTING PORTLAND STATE: The Vikings (0-0) enter the weekend set to pair off against both the Griz and Cats without having played a single match in 2019. PSU opens their season against Montana State on Feb. 15, and then faces the Griz on Feb. 17.

They were scheduled to face Washington, but heavy snows in the Northwest cancelled their trip. Snow also postponed a scheduled match against the cross-town Pilots.

Last season the Vikings were ravaged by injury and were swept by Montana 0-4 in Missoula to open conference play. They were picked to finish 2019 last in the conference.

University of Montana Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Bianca Bostrom

Lidia Dukic

Lauren Dunlap

Nathalie Joanlanne

Claudia Reguant

Julia Ronney

Alex Walker

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