Griz looking to make a statement at ITA Regional

Following solid results at three different warm-up tournaments, the Montana women's tennis team will now test itself against some of the top players in the west this week at the ITA Mountain Regional Tournament.

This year's Mountain Regional is hosted by the University of Utah, Oct. 18-21 in Salt Lake City. The singles bracket will be split into two draws of 64 instead of the traditional draw of 128 to make efficient use of time, with the tournament split between the indoor and outdoor courts at the George S. Eccles Tennis Center.

Links to complete tournament draws and results can be found at GoGriz.com.

With limited entry spots available at the premiere tournament of the fall, with teams from Montana to New Mexico attending, the Griz will be represented by six players in Salt Lake.

Fifth-year seniors Maria Goheen and Olivia Oosterbaan will play in their final regional as Grizzlies this week, while juniors Grace Haugen and Rosie Sterk – both All-Big Sky honorees – will also look to advance in the brackets.

Sophomore Hailey Murphy will make her second trip to regionals for the Griz, while freshman Kelsey Phillips will test herself against the region's best in her first fall season at Montana.

Head coach Steve Ascher says he's looking for continued improvement from his squad in Salt Lake with an eye toward solidifying lineups for the spring dual season, with players in the pressure cooker that is a win-or-go-home tournament.

"Obviously, all the top teams in the region are there, so we'll get a good feel for what we're going to see in the spring," said Ascher.

"The fall is about getting experience for the players, but it's also about finding out where they will position themselves in the lineup this spring. So, it's a cool chance to earn their reputation and position in the lineup under pressure against great competition."

Montana enters the regional two weeks after sending a pair of teams through to the championship of the back draw at the Eagle Invitational in Cheney.

Prior to that, Haugen and Sterk claimed a doubles title and played in the championship round of the orange bracket at the Barb Chandler Classic in Boise State against many of the teams that will compete in Salt Lake this weekend.

After regionals, Montana will cap the fall tourney season at the Gonzaga Invitational in late October before closing out the semester with a training block. The Griz then open the spring season on January 19, returning to Spokane to face Gonzaga in a dual match.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Maria Goheen

Grace Haugen

Hailey Murphy

Olivia Oosterbaan

Kelsey Phillips

Rosie Sterk

University of Montana Athletics