Hornets sting Griz in thriller

Sunday, March 24

Sacramento, Calif.

NOON (MT)

Montana

Sacramento State

3/24/2019 5:43:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score PDF Box Score

By: Montana Sports Information

Earlier in March, Montana women's tennis senior Lidia Dukic was put in a position that every athlete dreams of: a team win resting squarely on her shoulders as she pulled out a three-set victory to lead the Griz to a 4-3 win over Idaho State.

With the Griz tied 3-3 at Sacramento State on Sunday, Dukic's name was called once again to be the hero in a three-set thriller, but it was not to be for the senior this time around as Montana squandered an early lead and fell to the Hornets 4-3.

The loss is the first of the season for the Grizzlies in Big Sky play, now sitting at 3-11 overall and 3-1 on the league table. Sac State moves to 3-2 in conference play and 3-8 overall.

"It was a battle today. We won the doubles, which was a focus. We had a nice comeback down 3-2 to tie it 3-3, where both players competed well," said head coach Steve Ascher.

"Sacramento State just won a couple more points. It was a great college tennis match."

Playing its first match of the year outdoors, Montana came back from early deficits on all three doubles courts to win the point for just the second time this season.

The Griz dropped the match on court three but rebounded with a 7-5 win from the Julia Ronney/Bianca Bostrom pair on one. UM then clinched the point with a 6-4 win for Dukic and her partner Lauren Dunlap on two, giving the Griz the early 1-0 lead heading into singles.

In singles play, Montana improved its lead to 2-0 when Ronney picked up a straight-sets win on court one over Maria Gonzalez 6-2, 6-3. The win keeps the sophomore at an undefeated 4-0 in conference play, one of just five players in the Big Sky to not lose this yet this season.

That's when the Hornets started their comeback, winning three straight-sets matches on courts four, two, and six to take a 3-2 overall lead with two matches left in play.

On court three, Bostrom rebounded from a first-set tiebreaker loss to take a three-set win (6-7 (3-7), 6-2, 6-3) that knotted the overall match at three.

With the result hanging in the balance, Dukic picked up a split in the first two sets before going game-for-game in the third set with Sac State's Sofi Wicker. The win was not in the cards for the Griz however, as Wicker took the 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 win that sealed the team victory for the Hornets.

Montana will now complete its spring break trip to California with a nonconference match at UC Davis on Tuesday.

Sacramento State 4, Montana 3

3/24/2019 at Sacramento, Calif. (Sacramento State Tennis Courts)

Singles competition

1. RONNEY, Julia (UM) def. GONZALEZ, Maria (SAC) 6-2, 6-3

2. NIELSEN, Jayden (SAC) def. DUNLAP, Lauren (UM) 7-6 (8-6), 6-3

3. BOSTROM, Bianca (UM) def. CHERNYETSKY, C. (SAC) 6-7 (3-7), 6-2, 6-3

4. DORIAN, Jenna (SAC) def. JOANLANNE, Nathalie (UM) 7-5, 6-2

5. WICKER, Sofi (SAC) def. DUKIC, Lidia (UM) 6-1, 4-6, 7-5

6. UGARKOVIC, Frana (SAC) def. WALKER, Alex (UM) 7-5, 6-4

Doubles competition

1. BOSTROM, Bianca/RONNEY, Julia (UM) def. DORIAN, Jenna/NIELSEN, Jayden (SAC) 7-5

2. DUKIC, Lidia/DUNLAP, Lauren (UM) def. GONZALEZ, Maria/WICKER, Sofi (SAC) 6-4

3. CHERNYETSKY, C./UGARKOVIC, Frana (SAC) def. JOANLANNE, Nathalie/WALKER, Alex (UM) 6-4

Match Notes