Home court advantage highlights 2019-20 Griz Tennis schedule
8/15/2019 12:07:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Montana men's tennis coach Jason Brown has released his team's 2019-20 schedule, which perhaps this year more than ever is designed to build momentum and put the Griz in a position to make yet another run at the Big Sky tournament.
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With the first three matches of the conference season set to be played on home soil, two of which are against teams that beat the Grizzlies last season, Montana will have the opportunity to get out of the gates early as the young team looks to build on last year's 5-5 league record.
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"I think the schedule came together nicely," said Brown. "We'll get a lot of nice home matches in this year, which we didn't have as much of last year, so I think that will give us some momentum going into the end of the season. It will be tough at the end, though."
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Montana will open the league schedule with Northern Colorado, Portland State, and Montana State all coming to Missoula in consecutive weekends. Idaho and Eastern Washington will also have to play at the Peak in early April after the Griz return from a spring break trip to California. The second half of April, however, will see UM on the road for tough matches at Idaho State, Weber State, Southern Utah, and finishing against the defending conference champion Northern Arizona Lumberjacks at altitude in Flagstaff.
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"The dream scenario for this schedule would be that we play Northern Arizona at their place for the regular-season title. That's the dream combination, of go down there and have a shot," said Brown.
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Despite the team's youth (two freshmen, six sophomores, and a pair of seniors), Brown's Grizzlies return two senior leaders that still have a bad taste in their mouths from last year in Max Korkh and Ludvig Hallgren. With a talented group of returning sophomores and high expectations for the incoming freshman class, Brown thinks the Griz could be in the mix for a league title come April.
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The schedule opens with five fall tournaments, giving the Griz the chance to work on their individual games in preparation for the spring conference season.
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The Grizzlies will open the year in Colorado Springs, Colo. at the Air Force Invitational, September 27-29, before traveling to Pocatello for the Idaho State Invitational in early October. Brown then elevates the fall season at the ITA Mountain Regionals in Denver, where the Griz will test themselves against the West's best. Â
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Montana then returns home for a rare fall tournament, keeping it local at the Peak Fall Championships in early November in Missoula, giving UM's youngsters match experience in a friendly environment before the league season rolls around.
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Gonzaga's Bulldog Invite caps the fall season with another chance for the Grizzlies to square off against some of the best in the Northwest.
Â
Going into conference play, the Grizzlies with have the home-court advantage early and see a mix of nonconference, dial-it-in-matches against a variety of regional teams in the leadup, with renewed rivalries against Gonzaga and Boise State.
Â
"A heavy home game schedule seems to be new, it felt like the last few seasons we have been on the road a lot, early in our conference, which can make things a little more difficult," said Brown. "So, I like how this schedule came together. I like how we are getting a spring break in the Bay area, get a good conference match in, then sandwich it around some solid nonconference matches."
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The four-match spring break in the Bay area will see the Griz square off against San Francisco, Sonoma State, and UC Davis, with a vital league match against the perennial power Sacramento State Hornets in between.
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UM then returns for key home matches against Idaho and EWU before returning to the road for the last four, running a gauntlet at Idaho State (April 10), Weber State (April 12), Southern Utah (April 17), and Northern Arizona (April 19) where the Grizzlies will hopefully stay on the road and make their way to the Big Sky Conference Championship in Phoenix, Ariz.
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"It will be a challenge, but also, will be good preparation for the tournament and ultimately will show us if we are ready for that," said Brown.
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2019-20 Grizzly Tennis Schedule
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FallÂ
9/27-29Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Air Force Invitational - Colorado Springs, Colo.
10/4-6Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Idaho State Invitational - Pocatello, Idaho
10/16-20Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â ITA Mountain Regionals - Denver, Colo.
11/1-3Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Peak Fall Championships - Missoula, Mont.
11/8-10Â Â Â Â Â Â Bulldog Invite - Spokane, Wash.
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Spring
2/1Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Utah - Salt Lake City, Utah
2/2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Nevada - Salt Lake City, Utah
2/7Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Gonzaga - Spokane, Wash.
2/8Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Boise State - Spokane, Wash.
2/9Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Seattle - Missoula, Mont.
2/15Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Whitman - Walla Walla, Wash. (Double Header)
2/16Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Lewis and Clark State - Walla Walla, Wash.
2/22Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Whitworth - Missoula, Mont. (Double Header)
3/7Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Northern Colorado - Missoula, Mont.*
3/8Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Portland State - Missoula, Mont.*
3/15Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Montana State - Missoula, Mont*
3/22                San Francisco - San Francisco, Calif.     Â
3/24Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Sacramento State - Sacramento, Calif.*
3/25Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Sonoma State - Sonoma, Calif.
3/26Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â UC Davis-Davis, Calif.
4/4Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Idaho - Missoula, Mont.*
4/5Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Eastern Washington - Missoula, Mont.*
4/10Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Idaho State - Pocatello, Idaho*
4/12Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Weber State - Ogden, Utah*
4/17Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Southern Utah - Cedar City, Utah*
4/19Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Northern Arizona - Flagstaff, Ariz.*
4/23-25 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Big Sky Conference Championships - Phoenix, Ariz
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With the first three matches of the conference season set to be played on home soil, two of which are against teams that beat the Grizzlies last season, Montana will have the opportunity to get out of the gates early as the young team looks to build on last year's 5-5 league record.
Â
"I think the schedule came together nicely," said Brown. "We'll get a lot of nice home matches in this year, which we didn't have as much of last year, so I think that will give us some momentum going into the end of the season. It will be tough at the end, though."
Â
Montana will open the league schedule with Northern Colorado, Portland State, and Montana State all coming to Missoula in consecutive weekends. Idaho and Eastern Washington will also have to play at the Peak in early April after the Griz return from a spring break trip to California. The second half of April, however, will see UM on the road for tough matches at Idaho State, Weber State, Southern Utah, and finishing against the defending conference champion Northern Arizona Lumberjacks at altitude in Flagstaff.
Â
"The dream scenario for this schedule would be that we play Northern Arizona at their place for the regular-season title. That's the dream combination, of go down there and have a shot," said Brown.
Â
Despite the team's youth (two freshmen, six sophomores, and a pair of seniors), Brown's Grizzlies return two senior leaders that still have a bad taste in their mouths from last year in Max Korkh and Ludvig Hallgren. With a talented group of returning sophomores and high expectations for the incoming freshman class, Brown thinks the Griz could be in the mix for a league title come April.
Â
The schedule opens with five fall tournaments, giving the Griz the chance to work on their individual games in preparation for the spring conference season.
Â
The Grizzlies will open the year in Colorado Springs, Colo. at the Air Force Invitational, September 27-29, before traveling to Pocatello for the Idaho State Invitational in early October. Brown then elevates the fall season at the ITA Mountain Regionals in Denver, where the Griz will test themselves against the West's best. Â
Â
Montana then returns home for a rare fall tournament, keeping it local at the Peak Fall Championships in early November in Missoula, giving UM's youngsters match experience in a friendly environment before the league season rolls around.
Â
Gonzaga's Bulldog Invite caps the fall season with another chance for the Grizzlies to square off against some of the best in the Northwest.
Â
Going into conference play, the Grizzlies with have the home-court advantage early and see a mix of nonconference, dial-it-in-matches against a variety of regional teams in the leadup, with renewed rivalries against Gonzaga and Boise State.
Â
"A heavy home game schedule seems to be new, it felt like the last few seasons we have been on the road a lot, early in our conference, which can make things a little more difficult," said Brown. "So, I like how this schedule came together. I like how we are getting a spring break in the Bay area, get a good conference match in, then sandwich it around some solid nonconference matches."
Â
The four-match spring break in the Bay area will see the Griz square off against San Francisco, Sonoma State, and UC Davis, with a vital league match against the perennial power Sacramento State Hornets in between.
Â
UM then returns for key home matches against Idaho and EWU before returning to the road for the last four, running a gauntlet at Idaho State (April 10), Weber State (April 12), Southern Utah (April 17), and Northern Arizona (April 19) where the Grizzlies will hopefully stay on the road and make their way to the Big Sky Conference Championship in Phoenix, Ariz.
Â
"It will be a challenge, but also, will be good preparation for the tournament and ultimately will show us if we are ready for that," said Brown.
Â
2019-20 Grizzly Tennis Schedule
Â
FallÂ
9/27-29Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Air Force Invitational - Colorado Springs, Colo.
10/4-6Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Idaho State Invitational - Pocatello, Idaho
10/16-20Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â ITA Mountain Regionals - Denver, Colo.
11/1-3Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Peak Fall Championships - Missoula, Mont.
11/8-10Â Â Â Â Â Â Bulldog Invite - Spokane, Wash.
Â
Spring
2/1Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Utah - Salt Lake City, Utah
2/2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Nevada - Salt Lake City, Utah
2/7Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Gonzaga - Spokane, Wash.
2/8Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Boise State - Spokane, Wash.
2/9Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Seattle - Missoula, Mont.
2/15Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Whitman - Walla Walla, Wash. (Double Header)
2/16Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Lewis and Clark State - Walla Walla, Wash.
2/22Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Whitworth - Missoula, Mont. (Double Header)
3/7Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Northern Colorado - Missoula, Mont.*
3/8Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Portland State - Missoula, Mont.*
3/15Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Montana State - Missoula, Mont*
3/22                San Francisco - San Francisco, Calif.     Â
3/24Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Sacramento State - Sacramento, Calif.*
3/25Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Sonoma State - Sonoma, Calif.
3/26Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â UC Davis-Davis, Calif.
4/4Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Idaho - Missoula, Mont.*
4/5Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Eastern Washington - Missoula, Mont.*
4/10Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Idaho State - Pocatello, Idaho*
4/12Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Weber State - Ogden, Utah*
4/17Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Southern Utah - Cedar City, Utah*
4/19Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Northern Arizona - Flagstaff, Ariz.*
4/23-25 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Big Sky Conference Championships - Phoenix, Ariz
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Players Mentioned
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