Women’s tennis faces another tough schedule in 2020
9/13/2019 3:49:00 PM | Women's Tennis
If the 2018-19 season is any barometer, it's clear that Montana women's head coach Steve Ascher isn't afraid of a challenge.
Montana faced five different teams from "Power 5" schools and three nationally-ranked opponents that season with the goal of testing the team in the nonconference to be ready to make a run at the Big Sky tourney in April.
With the team back on campus and preparing for the first fall outing of the year, the Grizzlies are once again staring down the barrel of a challenging nonconference schedule in the spring duals season.
However, in 2020 they'll have increased home-court advantage, enticing traditionally strong programs like Utah, Minnesota, and Portland to Missoula for nonconference matches, and finishing the league slate with five of the last six matches at home.
It equates into a balanced 2020 lineup for the Griz, with UM playing 10 matches at home and 12 on the road. As the team looks to improve on last year's four-win season (that was a set or two away from being a much different story), they'll once again have to face some tough opponents. But for Ascher, that's how you get better.
"I like that we're consistently being tested from the get-go, and I like that we're getting these schools here to Missoula. That's big," says Ascher.
"You'll typically play your Pac-12 or Mountain west teams early in the season. One of the things we're trying to is extend those matches throughout the year, so you're firing on your best cylinders at the end of the season and pushing toward conference championships."
The Grizzlies start the year just after students return to campus after winter break, hosting the Utah Utes and Minnesota Gophers for a round-robin tourney, Jan. 17-19 at the PEAK Racquet Club in Missoula.
Montana then stays at home and hosts Grand Canyon and a nonconference tune-up against Montana State in a similar round-robin on Feb. 1-2 to start the season with four tough tests.
"The whole idea is trying to create confidence and belief in these young ladies," added Ascher.
"You can pay money to go play people all you want, but to have that opportunity where they're coming here just gives them confidence in knowing they can play with these teams. We belong in this. So, I think it just helps build that belief."
It doesn't get any easier from there, either, with Montana then heading to East Lansing, Mich., to face the Michigan State Spartans on the back-end of a home-and-home, and getting a two-fer while there, with a match against Xavier on Feb. 2-9.
The Griz then travel to the Front Range for matches against the Denver Pioneers in the Mile-High City, and Wyoming in Laramie the following week (Feb. 14-15).
UM will then get its first conference match of the year, traveling to face the defending champion NAU Lumberjacks in Flagstaff, and will get a match against New Mexico while they are there on Feb. 27-28. The Griz then travel south to Tucson to face the Arizona Wildcats and San Francisco Dons in a double-header the following day to cap the trip with four matches in two stops.
The Portland Pilots will then travel to Missoula to play at UM on March 6, before the Griz face the "Brawl of the Wild" match two days later on March 8.
Montana then returns to the road and travels south on the I-15 corridor to play Utah State, Weber State, and Idaho State on March 16-19 before going home to face Northern Colorado and Sacramento State.
The final road test of the season comes with a one-off match at Southern Utah on April 4, before finishing with a home-match flurry on April 10 against Idaho, April 12 against Eastern Washington, and April 17 against Portland State.
The Big Sky Championships return to Arizona once again this year, slated for April 23-26 at the Phoenix Tennis Center.
Montana will see its first action of the fall on Sept. 2- at the Idaho State Invitational, and will also travel to tourneys in Pullman Wash., Las Vegas, and San Diego.
Fall 2019
9.20-22 Idaho State Invitational - Pocatello, Idaho
10.4-6 Washington State Invitational - Pullman, Wash.
10.23-27 ITA Mountain Regional - Las Vegas, Nev.
11.8-10 San Diego State Invitational - San Diego, Calif
Spring 2020
1.17 Utah – Missoula, Mont. – 1 PM
1.18 Minnesota - Missoula, Mont. – 10 AM
1.19 Utah vs Minnesota - Missoula, Mont. – 9 AM
2.1 Grand Canyon - Missoula, Mont. – 9 AM
2.2 Grand Canyon vs. Montana State - Missoula, Mont. – 9 AM
2.8 Michigan State - East Lansing, Mich. – TBD
2.9 Xavier - East Lansing, Mich. – TBD
2.14 Denver – Denver, Colo. – 11 AM
2.15 Wyoming – Laramie, Wyo. – 10 AM
2.27 Northern Arizona – Flagstaff, Ariz. – TBD
2.28 New Mexico – Flagstaff, Ariz. – TBD
2.29 Arizona – Tucson, Ariz. – TBD
2.29 San Francisco – Tucson, Ariz. – TBD
3.6 Portland – Missoula, Mont. – 10 AM
3.7 Portland vs Montana State – Missoula, Mont. – 9 AM
3.8 Montana State – Missoula, Mont. – 9 AM
3.16 Utah State – Logan, Utah - TBD
3.17 Weber State – Ogden, Utah – 11:30 AM
3.19 Idaho State – Pocatello, Idaho - TBD
3.27 Northern Colorado – Missoula, Mont. – 1 PM
3.28 Sacramento State – Missoula, Mont. – 9 AM
4.4 Southern Utah – Cedar City, Utah – 1 PM
4.10 Idaho – Missoula, Mont. – 1 PM
4.12 Eastern Washington – Missoula, Mont. – 9 AM
4.17 Portland State – Missoula, Mont. – 1 PM
4.23-26 Big Sky Championships
Montana faced five different teams from "Power 5" schools and three nationally-ranked opponents that season with the goal of testing the team in the nonconference to be ready to make a run at the Big Sky tourney in April.
With the team back on campus and preparing for the first fall outing of the year, the Grizzlies are once again staring down the barrel of a challenging nonconference schedule in the spring duals season.
However, in 2020 they'll have increased home-court advantage, enticing traditionally strong programs like Utah, Minnesota, and Portland to Missoula for nonconference matches, and finishing the league slate with five of the last six matches at home.
It equates into a balanced 2020 lineup for the Griz, with UM playing 10 matches at home and 12 on the road. As the team looks to improve on last year's four-win season (that was a set or two away from being a much different story), they'll once again have to face some tough opponents. But for Ascher, that's how you get better.
"I like that we're consistently being tested from the get-go, and I like that we're getting these schools here to Missoula. That's big," says Ascher.
"You'll typically play your Pac-12 or Mountain west teams early in the season. One of the things we're trying to is extend those matches throughout the year, so you're firing on your best cylinders at the end of the season and pushing toward conference championships."
The Grizzlies start the year just after students return to campus after winter break, hosting the Utah Utes and Minnesota Gophers for a round-robin tourney, Jan. 17-19 at the PEAK Racquet Club in Missoula.
Montana then stays at home and hosts Grand Canyon and a nonconference tune-up against Montana State in a similar round-robin on Feb. 1-2 to start the season with four tough tests.
"The whole idea is trying to create confidence and belief in these young ladies," added Ascher.
"You can pay money to go play people all you want, but to have that opportunity where they're coming here just gives them confidence in knowing they can play with these teams. We belong in this. So, I think it just helps build that belief."
It doesn't get any easier from there, either, with Montana then heading to East Lansing, Mich., to face the Michigan State Spartans on the back-end of a home-and-home, and getting a two-fer while there, with a match against Xavier on Feb. 2-9.
The Griz then travel to the Front Range for matches against the Denver Pioneers in the Mile-High City, and Wyoming in Laramie the following week (Feb. 14-15).
UM will then get its first conference match of the year, traveling to face the defending champion NAU Lumberjacks in Flagstaff, and will get a match against New Mexico while they are there on Feb. 27-28. The Griz then travel south to Tucson to face the Arizona Wildcats and San Francisco Dons in a double-header the following day to cap the trip with four matches in two stops.
The Portland Pilots will then travel to Missoula to play at UM on March 6, before the Griz face the "Brawl of the Wild" match two days later on March 8.
Montana then returns to the road and travels south on the I-15 corridor to play Utah State, Weber State, and Idaho State on March 16-19 before going home to face Northern Colorado and Sacramento State.
The final road test of the season comes with a one-off match at Southern Utah on April 4, before finishing with a home-match flurry on April 10 against Idaho, April 12 against Eastern Washington, and April 17 against Portland State.
The Big Sky Championships return to Arizona once again this year, slated for April 23-26 at the Phoenix Tennis Center.
Montana will see its first action of the fall on Sept. 2- at the Idaho State Invitational, and will also travel to tourneys in Pullman Wash., Las Vegas, and San Diego.
Fall 2019
9.20-22 Idaho State Invitational - Pocatello, Idaho
10.4-6 Washington State Invitational - Pullman, Wash.
10.23-27 ITA Mountain Regional - Las Vegas, Nev.
11.8-10 San Diego State Invitational - San Diego, Calif
Spring 2020
1.17 Utah – Missoula, Mont. – 1 PM
1.18 Minnesota - Missoula, Mont. – 10 AM
1.19 Utah vs Minnesota - Missoula, Mont. – 9 AM
2.1 Grand Canyon - Missoula, Mont. – 9 AM
2.2 Grand Canyon vs. Montana State - Missoula, Mont. – 9 AM
2.8 Michigan State - East Lansing, Mich. – TBD
2.9 Xavier - East Lansing, Mich. – TBD
2.14 Denver – Denver, Colo. – 11 AM
2.15 Wyoming – Laramie, Wyo. – 10 AM
2.27 Northern Arizona – Flagstaff, Ariz. – TBD
2.28 New Mexico – Flagstaff, Ariz. – TBD
2.29 Arizona – Tucson, Ariz. – TBD
2.29 San Francisco – Tucson, Ariz. – TBD
3.6 Portland – Missoula, Mont. – 10 AM
3.7 Portland vs Montana State – Missoula, Mont. – 9 AM
3.8 Montana State – Missoula, Mont. – 9 AM
3.16 Utah State – Logan, Utah - TBD
3.17 Weber State – Ogden, Utah – 11:30 AM
3.19 Idaho State – Pocatello, Idaho - TBD
3.27 Northern Colorado – Missoula, Mont. – 1 PM
3.28 Sacramento State – Missoula, Mont. – 9 AM
4.4 Southern Utah – Cedar City, Utah – 1 PM
4.10 Idaho – Missoula, Mont. – 1 PM
4.12 Eastern Washington – Missoula, Mont. – 9 AM
4.17 Portland State – Missoula, Mont. – 1 PM
4.23-26 Big Sky Championships
Thursday, June 04
Friday, May 01
Friday, May 01
Friday, May 01
