Griz fall to Bengals in conference opener

Saturday, February 18

Pocatello, Idaho

1 PM

Montana

Idaho State

Photo by: Derek Johnson

2/18/2023 7:04:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana women's tennis team opened Big Sky Conference play with a 5-2 loss to Idaho State on Saturday afternoon at Reed Gym in Pocatello.

The loss drops the Grizzlies to 0-1 in league play and 3-6 on the season, leaving UM searching for its first D-I win of the year. The Bengals, just two weeks removed from upsetting Utah State 6-1, continued their hot start to the season, moving to 5-2 on the year and 1-0 in conference action.

Montana played from behind after losing the doubles round but wins from Grace Haugen and Lauren Dunlap in singles play put the Griz within reach of a comeback. Narrow losses in crunch time on courts five and six from Maria Goheen and Rosie Sterk would cost the Griz an opportunity for a team win, however.

"ISU played really well. I think we had opportunities to seize momentum. There were a couple different momentum shifts, and we had our opportunities, but they just played a little better than us in the right moments," said head coach Steve Ascher.

"Our players felt so comfortable on their courts, and I felt like we did a really good job battling, but we just came up a little short. We've got a tough schedule on the road this year, so we need to find that extra gear and better details."

In doubles, Sterk and Dunlap picked up a 6-4 win on court two over ISU's Cho/Kuruvilla pair, but the Bengals had already clinched the opening point with a 6-1 win on court one and a 6-3 win on court three.

In singles, a quick loss from Olivia Oosterbaan (6-3, 6-2) to Lola O'Lideadha on court two put the Griz down 2-0 in the early going.

Dunlap then got the Griz back in it, though, taking a straight-set win over Megan Lang-Gould 6-4, 6-4 to make it a 2-1 team score.

Freshman Hailey Murphy then dropped a pivotal match on court three, winning the first set but dropping the second to force a third where she pushed the decision all the way to a tiebreaker, eventually falling 6-3, 1-6, 6-7 (4) to Sol O'Lideadha to put ISU up 3-1.

Haugen then made it a 3-2 team score with a three-set win on court one, bouncing back from a tiebreaker loss in the second set to dominate the third, beating Hana Cho 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-1 for the win.

With the team result hanging on the matches in positions four and five, ISU defended their home court with a straight set win over Goheen and a three setter over Sterk.

The Griz now have a two-week training block before traveling to California, where they will play a nonconference match against UC Davis on March 3 before returning to league play on March 4 at Sacramento State.