Griz make deep runs at Idaho State Invitational

Friday, September 17

Pocatello, Idaho

All Day

Montana

Idaho State Invitational

9/21/2021 6:40:00 PM | Women's Tennis

COMPLETE RESULTS

By: Montana Sports Information

With a mostly young squad, the Montana women's tennis team punched above its weight this weekend as the Grizzlies opened the fall tournament season at the Idaho State Invitational in Pocatello.

All told, Montana's six-person team advanced to four finals and won one bracket championship as the Grizzlies more than held their own against some of the region's best from Boise State, Utah State, Weber State, Dixie State, and host Idaho State.

Originally slated to be played on the outdoor courts at Cappell Park, high winds and thunderstorms threw a wrench in the works and moved the competition inside Reed Gym on the ISU campus. The change didn't set the Griz back, however, as Montana made the right adjustments to make a run deep in the brackets.

"You could watch them learning all weekend and competing, and I just love the way we dealt with adversity." said head coach Steve Ascher.

"The team just accepted the changes, competed, and went out and got out after it. So, the composure, especially with the younger players, was awesome.

In singles, freshman Rosie Sterk rebounded from a day one loss in the Bengal Draw to win three straight en route to a consolation championship, beating opponents from Utah State, Dixie State, and Boise State along the way in her first collegiate tournament.

"Rosie was fun to watch. You get to see what their skill set is in practice, but then to go and show it in matches is really fun to watch," added Ascher.

"A couple of coaches walked over and said they really enjoyed watching her. So, get some props right away was really cool."

In the same Bengal Draw, senior Alex Walker advanced to the final with three straight wins, beating players from Dixie State and Weber State before running into fellow UM senior Claudia Reguant in the semifinal to guarantee a Grizzly in the championship match. Reguant would go on to finish third in the bracket, beating Dixie State's Alysha Damron 6-3, 6-4 in that final.

Junior Maria Goheen also rebounded from an opening-round loss to a consolation round final in the Orange Draw, while freshman Grace Haugen picked up perhaps the upset of the weekend with a 7-5, 6-4 win over the second-seeded Joana Baptista from Boise State.

In doubles, Sterk and Goheen marched to the championship round in the B Draw with wins over teams from Weber State and Idaho State before falling narrowly to Boise State's Heffernan/Conde Vendrell pair in the championship, 8-5.

For Sterk, the winning experience in her first competition as a Grizzly and the team bonding on her first road trip was a sign of good things to come.

"It was a great experience, and I really enjoyed it. I had great fun with the team, and it was nice to see the college level. Plus, I thought I played well, which was really good for my first time," Sterk added.

"The days were long, but I thought the team handled it well, and we were out there supporting each other. And I felt like we made improvements even throughout the weekend and finished strong. So, overall I'm happy."

Montana continues its fall tournament campaign this coming weekend when the Griz travel to Pullman to take part in Washington State's Cougar Classic, set for Sept. 24-6.