Griz cruise past Whitman, improve to 5-0

Friday, February 11

Missoula, Mont.

11 AM

Montana

Whitman

Photo by: Tommy Martino/UM Athletics

2/11/2022 3:39:00 PM | Men's Tennis

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By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana men's tennis team rolled to a 7-0 win over the visiting Whitman Blues on Friday at the Peak Racquet Club in Missoula to remain undefeated on the season.

The Griz hardly hit a speed bump, picking up three wins to take the doubles point and sweeping the singles round with straight-set decisions on all six courts to improve their overall record to 5-0 on the year.

Montana entered the dual match coming off a pair of impressive weekends of play where they logged two wins over Mountain West opponents.

The Griz kept that momentum right on rolling into today's dual, not allowing the Blues to win more than four games in any one set and putting together a complete team performance.

"I think that was our best match of the season, top to bottom. Everyone played well. I think that confidence coming off a good weekend in Boise really just flowed right through, and that's exactly what we were looking to do is carry on that momentum," said head coach Jason Brown.

"We were probably lucky to get Whitman at home on the first match of their season. That's a real talented D-III squad. Their coaches do a good job with them, and they fought really hard, but we just played really well."

Gallery: (2-11-2022) MTEN:: vs WC 2.11.22

Playing in their first match of the season, the Blues came out with energy early in the doubles round as the two teams traded points on all three courts.

It wouldn't take long for the Griz to assert themselves, however.

Moritz Stoeger improved his doubles record to 3-0 on the season as he and Sam Baldwin eased to a 6-3 win on court three. Baldwin, a freshman, picked up the first doubles win in a dual match of his career as the duo breezed past Whitman's Baker/Yuan duo.

The Griz then clinched the doubles point with Oisin Shaffrey and Ed Pudney taking a 6-3 win on court one to remain undefeated at 5-0 this season as a pair and putting Montana out to a 1-0 lead in the team score.

UM picked up the sweep of the opening round soon after with the senior/freshman duo of Milo Benn and Gustav Theilgaard taking a 6-2 win on court three over Whitman's Huang/Harshvardhan duo.

Montana kept the momentum in the singles round, easing to wins on each of the four opening courts to clinch the match.

Oisin Shaffrey and Gustav Theilgaard each made quick work of their opponents to put the Griz up 3-0 early. Shaffrey breezed past Aaron Yuan on court two 6-1, 6-0, while "Goose" impressed by laying double goose eggs on Braeden Thomas 6-0, 6-0, on court three.

Theilgaard remains undefeated in singles (3-0) and doubles (4-0) in his first season in maroon and silver. Today, he moved up to the No. 3 position for the first time this year and was dominant against Thomas, only allowing the visitor to win seven total points in the shutout.

"The big freshman could not have played better tennis. Saying it was impressive would be an understatement," added Brown.

"He's been a little frustrated that he hasn't played his best yet, but I don't think he can say that anymore. That was as good at tennis as I've seen played here."

Moritz Stoeger then clinched the match for the Griz on court four, blanking Jarsaj Sethi in the first set and scratching out a win in the second, 6-0, 6-4, to put Montana up 4-0 in the team score.

Pudney, the defending Big Sky Player of the Week, improved to 4-1 on the season with a hard-fought win over Kai Strawn on court one, putting UM up 5-0 with a 6-2, 6-1 victory.

Milo Benn and Sam Baldwin then polished off the match for the Griz with a pair of straight-set wins of their own.

"This is such a coachable group, willing to put themselves in uncomfortable situations and willing to try new things," said Brown.

"They're really just a gritty group who's going to make everybody work really hard to beat them, and that's what they did today."

Montana will complete its weekend homestand on Sunday morning with the Whitworth Pirates coming to Missoula. Opening serves in the doubles round are set to go up at 9 a.m. at the Peak Racquet Club.