Ronney named Player of the Week after a California sweep
3/27/2019 12:50:00 PM | Women's Tennis
When you're a student-athlete from San Diego but go to school in Montana, getting the chance to play in front of your parents doesn't come along that often.
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Julia Ronney got that chance this week when the Griz traveled to the Golden State for a pair of matches against Sacramento State and UC Davis with her mother Karen driving up from Southern California to cheer her on. The extra support paid off.
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Ronney was named the Big Sky Conference Player of the Week for the first time in her career on Wednesday after putting on a dominant performance in her home state, going undefeated in both singles and doubles in front of the partisan Montana fans in attendance.
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"It was awesome to have my mom there. Her support and love mean the world to me. She's one of the reasons I am where I am today, and it was great for her to be able to see me playing for Montana," said Ronney.
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"I was raised playing outdoors at sea level, so I was excited to get back to California too."
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Despite close team losses for the Griz, Ronney powered through the trip south without dropping a set to the traditionally strong Hornets and Aggies in UM's first outdoor matches of the season.
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Ronney and her partner Bianca Bostrom opened the week with a 7-5 doubles win over Sac State's Dorian/Nielsen pair on court one, and Ronney followed that up with a straight-set singles win over the Hornets' Maria Gonzalez (6-2, 6-3).
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She continued her strong weekend at UC Davis, this time partnering with Lauren Dunlap in doubles to pick up a 6-2 win, and capping the trip with a commanding win over the Aggies' No. 1 Nikita Pradeep, only dropping a single game in a 6-0, 6-1 victory.
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"This is a great reward for putting in a lot of work. Julia has been improving steadily, and her match against UC Davis was played on a very high level," said UM head coach Steve Ascher.
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"I'm excited for her, and the team as well."
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At 4-0, Ronney is currently undefeated in Big Sky singles play, one of just eight players yet to lose a conference match. She is the first Grizzly to be named the league's Player of the Week since 2015 when Sasha Carter earned two weekly honors.
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As a freshman, Ronney went 5-4 in league singles action to earn an All-Big Sky honorable mention. She also received a Scholar-Athlete award from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association and was named to the Academic All-Big Sky team as well. She also won the first collegiate tournament she ever played in during the 2017 fall season, picking up a win in the A singles draw at the Idaho State Invitational.
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Ronney and the Grizzlies return to Missoula this week for an important conference match against Southern Utah on Friday, March 29 at 10 a.m. at the Peak Racquet Club. At 3-1, the Griz currently sit at No. 5 in the Big Sky standings, with only the top-six earning a trip to the conference championship in Phoenix in April. Â
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Julia Ronney got that chance this week when the Griz traveled to the Golden State for a pair of matches against Sacramento State and UC Davis with her mother Karen driving up from Southern California to cheer her on. The extra support paid off.
Â
Ronney was named the Big Sky Conference Player of the Week for the first time in her career on Wednesday after putting on a dominant performance in her home state, going undefeated in both singles and doubles in front of the partisan Montana fans in attendance.
Â
"It was awesome to have my mom there. Her support and love mean the world to me. She's one of the reasons I am where I am today, and it was great for her to be able to see me playing for Montana," said Ronney.
Â
"I was raised playing outdoors at sea level, so I was excited to get back to California too."
Â
Despite close team losses for the Griz, Ronney powered through the trip south without dropping a set to the traditionally strong Hornets and Aggies in UM's first outdoor matches of the season.
Â
Ronney and her partner Bianca Bostrom opened the week with a 7-5 doubles win over Sac State's Dorian/Nielsen pair on court one, and Ronney followed that up with a straight-set singles win over the Hornets' Maria Gonzalez (6-2, 6-3).
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She continued her strong weekend at UC Davis, this time partnering with Lauren Dunlap in doubles to pick up a 6-2 win, and capping the trip with a commanding win over the Aggies' No. 1 Nikita Pradeep, only dropping a single game in a 6-0, 6-1 victory.
Â
"This is a great reward for putting in a lot of work. Julia has been improving steadily, and her match against UC Davis was played on a very high level," said UM head coach Steve Ascher.
Â
"I'm excited for her, and the team as well."
Â
At 4-0, Ronney is currently undefeated in Big Sky singles play, one of just eight players yet to lose a conference match. She is the first Grizzly to be named the league's Player of the Week since 2015 when Sasha Carter earned two weekly honors.
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As a freshman, Ronney went 5-4 in league singles action to earn an All-Big Sky honorable mention. She also received a Scholar-Athlete award from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association and was named to the Academic All-Big Sky team as well. She also won the first collegiate tournament she ever played in during the 2017 fall season, picking up a win in the A singles draw at the Idaho State Invitational.
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Ronney and the Grizzlies return to Missoula this week for an important conference match against Southern Utah on Friday, March 29 at 10 a.m. at the Peak Racquet Club. At 3-1, the Griz currently sit at No. 5 in the Big Sky standings, with only the top-six earning a trip to the conference championship in Phoenix in April. Â
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Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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