Griz host Fighting Hawks in home opener Saturday

Coming off one of the most historic seasons in program history, the Montana men's tennis team begins its quest to return to the lofty heights of 2022 with a rebuilt squad on Saturday, hosting North Dakota in Missoula to open the 2023 duals slate.

In the season opener for both squads, the Grizzlies and Fighting Hawks get underway at the Peak Racquet Club at 10:30 a.m. for the first meeting between the two former Big Sky foes since 2018.

COVERAGE: Admission to the Peak is open to the public and free of charge to spectators. Links to live scoring of the match can be found at GoGriz.com/MTEN and live updates can be found on the team's twitter and Instagram feeds.

THE MATCHUP: Montana enters the new season coming off a monumental 15-5 year that was arguably the best in program history, with the Griz climbing to the national rankings for the first time en route to a Big Sky semifinal appearance.

Gone are four all-conference players from that team, including league MVP Ed Pudney, as UM takes the court this week with a team built of 70 percent underclassmen and no seniors in the regular six-man lineup.

The Griz do return three All-Big Sky performers in 2023, led by two-time all-conference junior Moritz Stoeger and two-time Big Sky Player of the Week and all-conference pick as a freshman Gustav Theilgaard. Also back is junior Guillermo Martin, an all-league doubles player as a freshman who missed a year of action with a wrist injury.

What the Griz lack in experience, however, they look to make up for in youthful talent. Freshman George Russell impressed in the fall with a run to the title match of the white singles draw at the Gonzaga Invitational. Sophomore transfer Fernando Perez also showed his potential in Spokane, winning the white doubles draw with his partner Martin.

"This week's match has an extra tinge of excitement, being that it's such a new squad. We lost our top players from last year, and these young guys have filled in nicely," said sixth-year head coach Jason Brown.

"So, we're excited to just watch everybody get to compete in a team setting. And the fact that we were able to pick up a home match to start our season is just phenomenal. We're really excited to get after it."

The Fighting Hawks come to Missoula fresh off a historic season of their own, registering a D-I program record 12 wins in 2022 and making a Summit League semifinal appearance of their own.

Led by coach Tom Boysen, UND was picked to finish third in a competitive Summit League title race earlier in January, earning 14 points and one first-place vote in the poll.

Junior Cian McDonnell earned a place on the league's preseason watch list as one of three Fighting Hawks to post double-digit singles wins and going 5-1 in the month of February a year ago to earn Player of the Week honors from the conference.

GRIZ TRACKS

• Head coach Jason Brown is in his sixth season at UM. The 2018 Big Sky Coach of the Year opens the season with a 54-38 overall record and a 24-11 Big Sky record.

• Montana was picked fifth in the Big Sky Preseason Poll by the league's coaches, picked to return to the conference championship tourney as one of the top six teams. The Griz have advanced to 30 of the 31 Big Sky Tournaments ever held.

• The Griz host both of last year's Big Sky co-champs (Idaho and Montana State) in Missoula this year. UM has enjoyed an immense home-court advantage under Brown, going 28-3 at the Peak since 2018.

• Montana picked up two of the program's biggest wins last year, knocking off a pair of Mountain West opponents. The Griz beat Air Force 4-3 in Missoula to start the season, then beat Boise State 4-3 in Boise. The Griz had not beat either team in nearly two decades.

• The Griz spent eight weeks in the ITA national rankings last season, ranked as high as #62. It's the first time in program history UM has ever been in the top 75 rankings.

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Players Mentioned

Guillermo Martin

Fernando Perez

Ed Pudney

George Russell

Moritz Stoeger

Gustav Theilgaard

University of Montana Athletics