Griz look to finish strong against Cats

There won't be anything but bragging rights on the line when the Montana and Montana State women's teams cap their respective seasons this weekend when the Grizzlies travel to face the Bobcats.

The annual Brawl of the Wild match is set for the morning of Saturday, April 20, with first serves at the Bobcat-Anderson Tennis Center going up at 10 a.m.

With the Grizzlies (3-6 Big Sky, 3-17 overall) and the Bobcats (1-8 Big Sky, 3-15 overall) both languishing outside the conference championship cutoff of the top six teams, both teams will attempt to salvage their seasons with a rivalry win.

"It's exciting for everybody, but I think it's especially exciting for the seniors to go down there for the last match of their careers and have the chance to go out on top over the Cats," said head coach Steve Ascher. "It's exciting. It's a great way to finish the year."

Montana and MSU have both struggled through similarly tough schedules this season, with the Grizzlies looking the more polished team and coming closer to upset victories.

For instance: Montana's Julia Ronney and Lidia Dukic each picked up wins over Colorado in a 2-5 loss to the Buffs, whereas MSU suffered a 0-7 loss, and in conference play Montana picked up wins over Northern Colorado and Idaho State while the Cats fell 2-5 in both.

MSU will be ripe for an upset when the two rivals meet, however, having dropped 10-straight and looking to defend their home court.

But the Griz are also looking to snap a cold streak of their own with seven-straight losses dating back to the March 17 win over Northern Colorado, and are coming off a frustrating 4-3 loss to Weber State where they held a 3-1 lead late in the match.

The Griz will be led by super sophomore Ronney, who at 6-1 in Big Sky play carries the league's fourth-best win percentage on the No. 1 singles court. Ronney was named the Big Sky Player of the Week on March 27 after dominating a spring break trip to California with wins over Sacramento State and UC Davis.

Seniors Nathalie Joanlanne and Dukic will play their last matches in maroon and silver as well, with Dukic holding the team's second-best singles record at 6-13 this season and 4-5 in Big Sky play.

Four teams, Idaho, EWU, NAU, and Weber, have clinched a berth at the Big Sky tourney, while Southern Utah, Sacramento State, and Idaho State will vie for the final two spots this weekend.

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Players Mentioned

Lidia Dukic

Nathalie Joanlanne

Julia Ronney

University of Montana Athletics