Montana suffers 5-2 loss versus Portland

Sunday, February 27

Missoula, Mont.

10:30 AM

Montana

Portland

Photo by: Derek Johnson

2/27/2022 2:35:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score Photo Gallery

MISSOULA, Mont. – The Montana women's tennis team suffered its second loss of the weekend after facing the Portland Pilots Sunday morning at the PEAK Racquet Club. The Griz (4-7) and the Pilots (3-4) cultivated a competitive environment throughout the match, leaving the deciding points to the last two matches of the day.

"The team came out and gave our best effort in each single match today. There was this deice to compete and push their opponents to the breaking point. We are working hard and putting ourselves in that mindset to win these close matches," said head coach Steve Ascher.

The day started strong for the Pilots, as they swept doubles to clinch the first point of the match, giving them an early 1-0 lead. On court three, Rosie Sterk and Lauren Dunlap fell to Portland's Schuster/Dimitrijevic 6-1. In position one, Grizzlies Ivayla Mitkova and Olivia Oosterbaan took their third loss of the season as a pair after facing the Zelic/Sunjic pair (6-2). Junior Maria Goheen and freshman Grace Haugen lost to Pilots Pethybridge/Rouf, 6-2, on court two.

Portland kept the ball rolling going into singles play. Junior Griz, Oosterbaan, was the first to finish in position two, facing Sally Pethybridge. Pethybridge took the match in straight sets, winning 6-1 and 6-4.

On court one, freshman Haugen took her fifth loss of the season to Portland junior Iva Zelic. In the first set, Zelic led most of the way but Haugen found a way to tie it up at four. Zelic came away with the first set winning 6-4, but Haugen had the momentum going into the second. The freshman was up 4-0 at one point, but Pilot Zelic came from behind to pull out a win and clinch the third point of the day.

Grizzly Dunlap gave Montana its first point of the day after winning from behind versus Neli Sunjic. The senior fell in the first set, 6-4, but made a comeback to win 6-1 and 6-4 in position three. With the win, Dunlap extended her record to 6-5 on the season.

Junior Goheen helped the Griz gain another point after defeating Marija Elenova in straight sets. The Grizzly took the first set 7-5 and carried that momentum into the second set to win 6-4. Goheen boosted the score to 2-3, keeping the match alive.

In position five, Mitkova faced Rimona Rouf where she fell in straight sets. Despite the loss, the junior kept it close until the end. Rouf took the first set 6-2, but Mitkova gave her a run for her money in the second set, bringing the match to a tiebreaker after leading for the majority. The tiebreaker was back-and-forth but ultimately fell in favor of the Pilots with Rouf winning 7-6 (5), allowing for the Pilots to clinch the win.

Claudia Reguant was the last to finish in position six, facing Angela Schuster. Reguant won the first set 6-3 but fell in the second 6-4. The two played a super tiebreaker where Schuster won 10-7, extending the score to 5-2.

Montana returns to the road to face Gonzaga, Eastern Washington and Idaho for a three-match tour in three different locations. The matches will take place on March 4-6 and will be played in Spokane, Wash., Cheney, Wash., and Moscow Idaho.